Basketball, Birthdays And Other Happenings
by Jessi84
Summary: This is the sequel to Bugs, Bombs And A Pajama Party and takes place 4 months after it. Horatio and Stella are both back in their hometowns and Boston seems like a life time away. So will they meet again and if they do what will happen between them?
1. Chapter 1

_**Basketball, Birthdays And Other Happenings**_

**Chapter 1**

The arena was crowded. He knew that it could take up to 20,000 people and it seemed to him that every seat was taken today. It felt like being in a hive; people were running around, searching for their seats, talking to each other, shouting chants and in the middle of this craziness were him and his company.

Turning around he made sure that he hadn't lost his company. It was easy to get lost in this crowd and since he didn't have the tickets and didn't know the exact number of their seats, it would be quite annoying if he indeed lose sight of him. "Dad, are you coming?"

"I am, I am," Horatio rolled his eyes at his son's antics and did his best to make his way through the fan crowd. "You do realize that the game won't start until," he had a look at his watch, "in an hour?"

"I do, but there's no way that we can miss the cheerleaders," the boy grinned in return and waited until his father reached him.

"I didn't buy us season tickets for the cheerleaders, Kyle," Horatio chided him softly and gave him a reproaching look. He was still positively surprised about Kyle's suggestion of spending more time together and buying the one or other ticket to watch a game. Horatio had, of course, happily agreed to this suggestion and had called in a favor in the city administration, because he knew that they always had some tickets for their civil servants.

In the end he had gotten hold of season tickets and he didn't have to wait long for the envy of his friends and co-workers. He knew that season tickets were something precious, but what was even more precious for Horatio was the good time he had with his boy.

"Well but you bought the tickets for the whole evening and the cheerleaders do belong to that," Kyle pointed out and snatched the tickets out of his father's grasp. "I knew it was section 118, row 11," the boy read out loud and started walking again.

"It's always the same seat, Son," Horatio answered and couldn't help but smile at Kyle's eagerness, even though the boy claimed it was just because of the cheerleaders. Thinking back to the first weeks and months after they had found out about their relationship, it still amazed him how close they had gotten over the last couple of months.

It had actually started after Christmas, which they had spend together and Horatio was still very thankful that he had taken Stella's advice and had called the boy. This day had been one of the best days of his life, even though their turkey got a little burnt. Not that he would ever admit that and neither would Kyle, but they had had so much fun the whole day long that a slightly burnt turkey hadn't harmed at all. No, it was actually a very fond memory for him, one that he would treasure for the rest of his life.

Sitting down on his seat, Kyle took a deep breath and grinned at his father, who seemed to be a bit out of breath. He hadn't been that quick, right? Waiting until Horatio had sat down, he put on his best puppy face, just like his father's. "Would you be annoyed if I tell you, that we should rather get some drinks and food now, instead of getting it during the break?"

Giving his son an unreadable look, Horatio just shrugged. "Depends on, if you're going to volunteer in this case." There was no way that he would walk all the way back again, not after being happy that he had finally made it to his seat. Not to forget that he then had to fight his way back _again_ after buying the food and this time with a tray in his hands.

Having foreseen this answer, Kyle did his best to hide the big smirk, which was forming on his face. "But what about the cheerleaders?" he asked innocently.

"Well it's either food or girls, but not both. Your choice, Son."

"Hmm," now that was a tough decision for a teenage boy. "Well, maybe, if I'm quick, I can make it to the hot-dog stand and be here again before their show has started," he thought out loud.

"Not if you continue to sit here and just think it through," Horatio chuckled amused.

"Right," the boy nodded determinedly and was up with a start. "What can I get you?"

Surprised, Horatio looked up. Normally it was him, who paid for their meals, because he wanted his son to have a great time and not worrying about money. "The usual," he answered and before he could add something, the boy had vanished. "Interesting," Horatio murmured and took out his cell phone, checking if he had missed any calls. Thankfully he hadn't, because that might have meant that he had to cut the evening short. Slipping it back into his pocket, he decided to keep it on in case the boy would lose his way back to their seats and try to call him. Not that he assumed that Kyle had such a bad sense of direction, but you never knew and sometimes Horatio was a bit too cautious when it came to his son. Once Kyle would be back, he would turn the cell phone off though, because this evening belonged to his son and only him.

A few minutes later, Horatio wasn't sure how much time had actually passed, he heard his son's voice who thanked the other persons in their row, because they let him through. Smiling, Horatio took in the sight of his son and couldn't help but being proud of the young man Kyle was more and more becoming. Sometimes he couldn't believe how much Kyle had changed for the best, but he surely had. Getting up from his seat he smiled at his son. "Need some help with that?" he asked and nodded at the fully laden tray in Kyle's hands.

"Yeah, would be great," the boy nodded and carefully handed Horatio the tray. He knew his luck and didn't want to risk that the food would land on the floor while he tried to sit down.

Eyeing the slathers of food on the tray, Horatio raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that you didn't bring food for the whole row?" he chuckled and sat down again.

"No?" Kyle asked in return and had no idea what his father was talking about. He was hungry after all, because he hadn't eaten since lunch.

Shaking his head inwardly, Horatio just shrugged and grabbed his drink. "Just asking," he answered and promised himself that he would never laugh at Yelina again, when she was ranting about Ray jr and his eating habits. She'd always claimed that Ray was 'eating her out of house and home' and now Horatio knew what she meant. It seemed that Kyle was no exception in that. "Okay let's see what we got here," he said and reached for a Hot Dog, but was stopped by Kyle.

"Wait Dad, I got you a special one."

"A special one?" Horatio asked and was torn between in believing that it was good kind of 'special' or a bad one.

"Yeah, they had the normal ones and the special ones also called the healthy ones," the boy smirked and reached for what seemed his own hot dog. The 'normal' one Horatio assumed.

"Healthy ones?" Horatio inquired and wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer. The combination of the words 'healthy' and 'hot dogs' just didn't sound right to him.

"Mhm," Kyle nodded and happily chewed on his meal. "Yeah, they're made of tofu."

"Tofu?" he asked incredulously. Was the kid out of his mind? Why would he get him something like that?

"Yep," the boy commented nonchalantly. "They said that it's especially for people who are a bit older and-"

"I'm not old," Horatio huffed and completely missed the mischief playing in his son's eyes.

"Well your birthday is in a few weeks, so," Kyle shrugged and bit into his hot dog again.

"That doesn't mean that I'm old," Horatio pointed out and reached for this special hot dog. "But I do know that I'll buy my own food from now on."

Laughing, Kyle almost chocked on his food. "Just try it out, maybe it's not that bad."

"Easy for you to say," Horatio mumbled. "Well at least it looks like the real thing," he said to himself and took a small bite. Chewing on it, his face changed several times until realization hit him great time. "This _is_ a normal Hot Dog," he exclaimed and shot his son a death glare.

Kyle on the other hand was literally shaking with laughter. It was very hard to fool Horatio Caine, master CSI, but he had succeeded. This was too good to be true.

"Very funny," Horatio grumbled, but couldn't help but smile. "I really fell for your trick, didn't I?" he said and wondered where his boy got that from.

"Absolutely," Kyle brought out and started coughing when some of the food in his mouth took the wrong way.

Tapping his son's back, Horatio smiled. "See? This is the punishment when you fool your _old_ man."

"The shock on your face when you heard the word 'healthy' was totally worth it, Dad," the boy replied and took a sip of his drink.

"I bet," Horatio chuckled and thoroughly enjoyed their banter. A few months back, Kyle wouldn't have entertained the idea to fool him, so Horatio didn't mind this little trick at all. It showed him that they were getting closer and this was all that mattered.

"And look at this," Kyle continued and pointed to the court. "I was quick enough for the cheerleaders."

"Well then, good job I guess," he sipped his drink and leaned back. This looked like it was going to be a great evening.

It was almost midnight when the black SUV stopped in front of the small apartment building. Its two passengers were busy talking about the events of the last hours.

"Oh my god I still can't believe that the Heats won per free throw," Kyle exclaimed and shook his head. "Especially since they hadn't been the better team." Seeing the look on his father's face he shrugged, "Sorry Dad, but the Celtics were so much better." He knew that his father's heart was beating for the Heats (and the Knicks of course) but it had to be said.

"Well they probably were the better team, but sometimes luck isn't on your side. I'm happy that the Heats won, because they deserved it after so many defeats." His poor fan heart had been broken game after game when his team had lost, but now he hoped that this win was the start into the right direction.

"True, but the Heats have to keep an eye on their defense, or this victory will be a one time thing," Kyle clarified his position, much to the amusement of his father.

Horatio certainly enjoyed such talks about sports. Kyle was very much into basketball, just like he was and it was almost a tradition that they analyzed each game on their way back home. "I definitely agree with that," Horatio nodded, because the boy was right. "Let's hope that the coach will have a heart to heart with them."

"Well, we'll see that next week, won't we?" Kyle asked rather hypothetically, because he already knew the answer. There was no way that his Dad would take a rain check except of something very important would come up at work.

"That we will, Son," Horatio nodded and had a look at his watch. "I think we just call it a night, you have to get up early tomorrow." Of course the boy was old enough to decide on when he goes to bed or not, but he couldn't stop himself from saying such things.

"Just like you, Dad," the boy smirked. "The night's still young, just like I am, but people your age..," he trailed off, because his father was already pulling a face again.

"I really think it's time for you to leave this car right now, before I start thinking over this whole basketball idea," Horatio threatened and rolled his eyes, when Kyle started laughing. "Just keep on laughing, boy, maybe I'm so old next week that I can't remember picking you up for the game."

"Then it's a good thing that I can remind you in the lab," Kyle shot back playfully and opened the passenger's door. Before he stepped out of the car though, he stopped and turned to Horatio. "Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Oh?" Horatio tilted his head to the side and looked at him questioningly. "Something wrong in the morgue?"

"No, no work is fine, don't worry Dad," he quickly shook his head. "I just wondered if, you know, if you've already planned something for your birthday?"

"For my birthday?" Horatio frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well I mean if you've planned a party or something? I don't know," he shrugged, "maybe invite some friends, play blind man's bluff, or whatever you enjoy," he smiled.

"Well if we could shoot the 'cow' I'm sure Calleigh would be into it," Horatio chuckled. "But to answer your question, no, I haven't planned anything. I'm not even sure if I want to have a party."

"Oh. Hmm, okay," the boy replied quietly, unsure of what to say.

"Do you have any idea for a party?" Horatio asked, touched by the fact that Kyle was showing so much interest in this special day.

"What about a BBQ? Your birthday is on a Saturday, isn't it? Why not celebrate into your birthday? That way, everyone can come to your party, regardless if they're on call on Saturday or not."

"Hmm," Horatio thought out loud. "Celebrating into my birthday?" he repeated and tapped his finger against his lips. "I don't think that I've ever done that before."

"And this is a good or a bad thing?" Kyle pressed on.

"Actually," he turned his head to look at Kyle, "I actually think that this is a very nice idea. It's been a while since we had our last BBQ together and I do see your valid point about the others being on call. I think I'll tell them tomorrow and if they're up for it, it's settled."

"That's great, Dad, I'm sure they'll be up for it," Kyle smiled broadly. "I mean who on earth would say no to a BBQ?"

"Probably not that many," Horatio chuckled. "As long as there won't be any Tofu food on the barbecue, that is."

Laughing, Kyle shook his head. "No way! The others would kill us if we serve them with Tofu."

"True; and the bad thing is that they know how to hide our bodies," Horatio chimed in. "And that's not the way I want to celebrate my birthday." Certainly not.

"I bet," Kyle smirked. "So who are you going to invite?"

"Oh, hmm, the usual suspects I guess. The team, Frank and Alexx." Or in other words his surrogate family.

Noticing that Horatio hadn't mentioned his mother, Kyle nodded. "Sounds good." He knew that his parents didn't get along well, but still he couldn't help but hope and wish that this might change. No kid liked seeing its parents fight; no matter if they were married or not. "I'm sure it will be fun."

"We'll see," Horatio smiled. "But now it's really time for you to get some sleep, I don't want to hear Dr. Price complaining that you've fallen asleep during work."

Knowing that it was fruitless to keep on their little discussion, Kyle saluted playfully. "Aye, aye Sir." Reaching for his keys and opening the door again, he said, "Have a good night Dad."

"Sleep well, Kyle," Horatio nodded and waited until his son had reached his front door and entered his apartment. With a last small wave he started the engine and drove off; his mind already preoccupied about all the things he had to plan for this small come together.

_Tbc if you want…_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Thank you all for your great reviews. They surely mean a lot to me. And now let's move on to the second chapter. **_

**Chapter 2**

"Take a vacation Stella."

It was a good thing that she didn't have anything in her mouth, or she would have choke on her food. "Excuse me? What do you mean by 'take a vacation'?"

Chuckling, Mac took a sip of his coffee. He and Stella had decided to have a lazy Sunday morning and spend it in one of the several diners in New York. The last days and weeks had been quite exhausting and since they both weren't on call this weekend, he had invited Stella to join him for breakfast. "Well vacation; you know this time of the year when you don't go into work, but do something relaxing?"

Pulling a face, she glared at him. "Funny, Mac. But seriously, what makes you think that I need a vacation?"

Mac just shrugged. "We had a rough couple of weeks, no make it months. And you're stressed Stella. You know that as much as I do. Your overtime rate is high enough to take a two months vacation, so…"

"Well I'm certainly not the only one," she argued back.

"Honestly, I'm the only one who has more overtime than you do," Mac replied. "And since I want my colleagues and friends to be relaxed, it's you who has to take some time for yourself." Seeing her disbelieving face he continued. "Well Danny and Lindsay do their best not to do any overtime and Sheldon used his, a couple of weeks ago when he went on this trip to Europe with his college friend."

Knowing that he was right about it, Stella sighed. This didn't make it better though, because she didn't want to take a vacation. This was certainly not the topic she'd expected when Mac had asked her for their breakfast date. "I don't know…though I could use that time to renovate my apartment," she thought out loud.

"Nope, you won't."

"I won't?" she replied confused.

"Yep; because you won't spend your vacation in New York."

"Why won't I?"

"Because this will only lead into the situation that you'll visit the lab. And there's no way that you'll spend your vacation there."

"I kinda doubt that you're in any place to tell me _where_ I spend my vacation, Mac," she replied a bit annoyed. Not only did he want to tell her that she had to take a vacation, no, now he also wanted to tell her where.

"Stella," Mac sighed and cursed the Grecian mentality. "I'm asking you that as a friend, not as your boss. I'm sure that it'll be good for you to stay somewhere else..just.. to see something new, meet other people…blow the cobwebs away.."

"But going on vacation alone is…boring, Mac." As alluring a city trip did sound, doing it on your own was boring.

"I know," he nodded and really did. Since Claire had died, he had done anything to avoid going on trips. It just wasn't the same to sit alone in your hotel room in the evening as when there was someone else and you could talk with them about the day. "Aren't there any friends you want to visit?"

"No, all of my friends live in New York." She didn't have that many friends in particular and none that have moved into another city.

"Hm, okay…" This made it a bit harder for sure. Even though he wanted her to take this vacation, he also wanted her to enjoy it of course. "No place you ever wanted to visit?"

"No," she shook her head. "Not alone anyway."

"I see. Maybe a nice beach vacation? It doesn't have to be something cultural."

"Yeah," she mumbled, but was still rather discontent with Mac's idea in general. "So you want me to fly to Hawaii?"

"No," he laughed, "though if you want to, just go there," he teased.

"No thank you, Mac. I'll wait for that until my honeymoon," she smirked.

"Oho...honeymoon, now it's getting interesting." He really had to remember that. In case it ever happened. "But seriously Stella, I haven't thought about Hawaii, but something more…closer?" And before she could interrupt him, he continued. "Florida? Miami in particular?"

"Miami?" she asked. "Why Miami?"

"It just came into my mind, because I talked to Horatio just the day before yesterday," he shrugged.

"You did?" she asked intrigued. She hadn't talked to Horatio for a few days now; or was it weeks? She really couldn't say. The days had been so hectic sometimes, she hadn't even known which exact date it was. And her desire to phone someone after coming home had easily been beaten by the desire for at least a couple of hours of sleep.

"I did, yes," he nodded and could tell that mentioning Horatio's name had piqued her interest. "I told him about Lucy's christening," he continued and took the last bite of his waffle.

"Oh?" she asked and looked at him expectantly. "I wanted to call him, but totally forgot it," she sighed.

"I don't think that he will hold this against you," Mac chuckled. "He'd rather be worried about the reason why you've been so busy, instead of being mad because you didn't call him." That's at least the Horatio he knew. Plus, Horatio had indeed asked him about the team's well-being and Stella's in particular.

"But still," she argued, "I should have called him. He's very interested in Lucy, or at least he had been in Boston."

This time it was Mac whose interest was piqued. "Yeah?" He never had had the chance to ask Stella about Boston and what had happened there, so this was his chance now to get some information.

Smiling, Stella nodded. "Mhm, I needed a Christmas present for her and Horatio helped me finding something. The nightgown had actually been his idea."

"Well it seems that he not only has a good taste in his own clothing then," Mac chuckled. "It's a good thing that Lucy is a girl or he might have opted for a little suit."

"I wouldn't bet against it," Stella laughed, picturing little Lucy in a tiny version of Horatio's trademark suits.

"But stop alluring me from your vacation plans," Mac winked at her, because he knew exactly that Stella would do her best to change the subject in the hope that he might forget about this idea.

"Damn," Stella groaned for good measure and gave him one of her best charming smiles. "It was worth a try."

"Indeed, but I'm a CSI, remember?" Mac easily replied and held up his hand, before she could say something. "But seriously, give him a call. If there's someone who knows his city, then it's Horatio. I'm sure he knows a good hotel where you can get a room, even though it's on short notice."

"Short notice?" Stella went in. "When do you want me to take the vacation?" she asked warily, already knowing that she wouldn't like the answer.

"Actually, the week after next," Mac replied calmly and braced himself for her reaction.

"The week after next?" Stella shrieked. "But how should I book a room-"

"That's why you're calling Horatio, my dear," he smiled.

"And the flight?" Stella asked, thinking that Mac had too much fun with this.

"Well…to be honest.. I already booked you a flight," he dropped the bomb.

"You what?" she exclaimed, not caring about the fact that they weren't the only customers in the diner. "Is this some kind of set up?"

"No," he shook his head. "But I knew that you'd argue with me about your vacation and sometimes it's better to present you with a fait accompli." Not to forget that he wanted to test the one or other theory.

"I can't believe you did that," she sighed. Of course it was a really sweet gesture of Mac and she loved him for that, but still she didn't like it when someone was deciding something over her head. She was quite stubborn when it came to this situation actually. Must be the Grecian side of her she guessed.

"Sue me," Mac chuckled and let the waitress know that he wanted to pay.

"I'll certainly give that a second thought," Stella threatened and resigned herself to her fate. Mac had after all paid for her ticket and she couldn't let it forfeit. Sneaky man!

"But after your vacation please," Mac replied easily and paid for their meal. "So what do you think about a walk in the park?" he asked and got up from his seat.

"Is this your way of calming me?" she asked and followed him outside.

"Depends. Is it working?"

"Yeah…" She couldn't stay mad at him, especially not because of such a sweet and caring gesture.

"Then it is," he grinned and made a quick getaway.

"Oh you!" Stella exclaimed and quickly followed him. It was a good thing that she was a CSI; they would never find his body.

_**Tbc… you know the drill^^**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Thank you all for your kind reviews. They certainly make my day when I read them. **_

**Chapter 3**

It was a lazy Monday morning when Horatio and his team had gathered up in his office, discussing one of their latest cases. It was a rather rare situation that they weren't swamped over with new cases, which had occurred over the weekend, so they surely enjoyed their free time as long as it would last. Taking a sip of her coffee to go, Calleigh put down the case file and smiled at Horatio.

"So, Handsome, what do you want us to bring to your party next week?" She'd been pleasantly surprised when Horatio had invited them last week to celebrate his birthday and she'd racked her brains over the weekend of what kind of food she could make, but to no avail. So after a while, she'd decided that since it was Horatio's party, he should be the one to decide what he wanted.

Looking up from some papers, Horatio found himself in the waiting stares of his four colleagues. "Huh?" he blinked surprised.

Grinning, Cal shook her head. "Well you don't expect us to just show up and not contribute some food to a BBQ, do you?" she asked and everyone nodded at that.

"I…," he started, but was immediately interrupted by Eric.

"I already asked my mother to cook her famous Chayote Salad and some Mango Mojo Sauce," he smiled proudly and could hardly wait for the BBQ. It's been too long that they actually had a good, old BBQ together, so he was definitely looking forward to it.

"You know, you should actually cook it yourself, man," Ryan teased him and quickly ducked his head, before Eric's' slap could hit him.

"Anyway," Calleigh chimed in and ignored the boy's antics, "I thought about a shrimp cocktail, would that be okay?"

"And I could brew a bowl of cold punch," Natalia added. She wasn't that much of a cook, but people have always enjoyed her punch.

"This all sounds very good, but," Horatio was a bit taken back.

"No buts H," Eric shook his head. "And don't tell us that it's your party and we're only your guests, so we shouldn't contribute to it," he said and smiled to himself when Horatio averted his eyes. _"Gotcha, H." _

"I see that it's too late to stop you, huh?" Horatio chuckled quietly and then nodded. "Your ideas sound great, so just go ahead. I-" he started when suddenly his cell phone started ringing. "Excuse me please," he said politely and reached for the small device. Noticing the screen name, he was both surprised and worried at the same time. "Horatio?"

"_Horatio, hi it's me,"_ Stella said and felt a bit stupid for calling him. Well not exactly because she was calling him at all, but because of her little problem she had thanks to Mac.

"Stella, hi," Horatio smiled and ignored the looks everyone was giving him. "Is everything alright?"

"_I..uh..yes, everything is alright,"_ Stella said quickly and rolled her eyes at herself. She really sounded like some teenage girl who wanted to invite her crush to prom night. _"Well, more or less anyway, I have a small problem."_

"You do?" Horatio asked intrigued and nodded at his team who was starting to leave his office. "So what kind of problem do you have? Maybe I can help you."

"_Oh according to Mac you can," _Stella replied and still was a bit mad at her boss. He had brought her into this ridiculous situation after all.

"I think you lost me somewhere Stella. What does Mac got to do with it?" Horatio asked confused and couldn't follow her at all. "Did something happen to him?"

Not yet, but Stella still played with this idea. _"Oh, no, no. Nothing happened to anyone. Mac just wanted to play good fairy and now I have to face the music," _she mumbled, but then cleared her voice. _"Anyway; I'm sorry to interrupt you.."_

Whatever was going on, Horatio found it highly amusing. He had never seen or rather heard Stella being so flustered. "On the contrary, you actually rescued me from my team, throwing possible BBQ receipts at me," he chuckled.

Now it was Stella's time to be confused. _"BBQ receipts?"_

"Yeah, I'm celebrating my birthday next week and they threatened me to burn down the house if they aren't allowed to bring some food with them," he overdid a bit, but you never knew when it came to his team.

"_It's your birthday next week?"_ she asked in disbelief. Wonderful, this was going better and better. As if Horatio had the time to look around for a hotel, when he was actually planning his birthday party.

"Yeah, but let's concentrate on your problem now, shall we?" Horatio replied and leaned back in his chair. "So Mac was a good fairy, but you aren't happy with him."

"_Right. He claims that I need to take some vacation and already booked a flight."_

"Unbelievable," Horatio couldn't help but grin. "Do you want me to come to New York and wash his head and take away his small fairy wings?"

Why was she actually surprised that Horatio didn't take it seriously? Men! _"No, but you can whip his backside with this cute little wand every fairy has,"_ she deadpanned.

Horatio couldn't help but laugh at the picture forming in his head. "Well I'll see what I can do next time I see him," he sighed amused, but became a bit more serious. "So except of giving Mac a hard time, what else can I do for you?"

"_Well you see, he booked a flight to Florida, to Miami to be precise, but no hotel."_

"Miami?" well this was really a surprise. "And when is your flight?"

"_This is the main problem, it's next week,"_ she answered and cringed a bit when she heard his surprised reply.

"Next week already? This is…quite soon."

"_You know that and I know that, but it seems like this slipped our little fairy,"_ she sighed. _"So do you see my problem?"_

"I certainly do, Stella. Finding a hotel in Miami on such a short notice isn't really easy."

"_And that's where you come into the picture. I thought that since she's your city, you'd know best where I can find a nice hotel, in the near of the beach, but not in the middle of city, you know?"_ she asked hopefully.

"She is my city, yes," Horatio nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "And there certainly are some hotels that would fit to your description.."

"_I can __sense a but coming.."_

"Mhm, the problem is that there's some major sci-fi convention taking place next week and as far as I understand it, Miami's hotels are overbooked."

"_Oh wonderful,"_ Stella groaned and already made some plans on how she would kill Mac. _"So this means that I have tickets, but can sleep under some bridge, because Mac thinks that I need some vacation. Well if this isn't vacation I don't know," _she grumbled about poor Mac.

"Stella…Stella stop rambling," Horatio smiled softly at her antics. "I don't think that you have to sleep under some bridge, I do know a nice hotel, which is at the beach but far away from the hubbub."

"_But didn't you say that everything is booked out just a moment ago?"_ Stella asked confused.

"Well, yeah," he admitted quietly, "but I'm pretty certain that this particular one isn't. I think you'd like it, there's just one problem with it.."

"_That I have to share my room with Cockroaches? Ants? Snakes? Alligators?"_

"Ha, no of course not," he chuckled. "Or at least I hope so." Shaking his head he continued, "Anyway, I do know that there'll be a party next week and since I don't know if you're into parties or would feel annoyed by it…"

"_Wait a moment,"_ she literally held up her hand to stop him. A party? A nice hotel? How should Horatio know if there was a party...except of…. _"Oh no..no Horatio, I can't..I..no.."_

Horatio had literally heard when the penny had dropped and now couldn't help but smirk at her response. "Why not? You need a sleeping accommodation and I have a spare guest room, sounds good to me." He didn't even know why he offered her to stay with him, but what he did know was that he missed her presence and that he certainly wouldn't let her stay in some filthy hotel room or under the open sky.

"_But I can't ask you to..I mean.."_

"Well you didn't ask, I offered you to stay at my place for your vacation. Really, Stella, it's no big deal. The guest bedroom isn't in use anyway and before you cancel your plans, you're more than welcome to stay with me; as long as you won't mind having a nice BBQ with some of my friends."

"_I can't impose on you like that, especially when it's your birthday,"_ Stella tried her best to talk him out of this idea, even though she found it really nice of him.

"Well let me clarify one thing. You'd never impose on me, Stella," he replied in a serious tone. "I'm offering you to stay with me for your vacation; if you don't want to accept my offer, that's okay, but please don't say that you'd impose on me, because that would be a complete lie. You don't even have to spend time with me, but just sleep in the guest room, if this sounds better to you.."

"_Don't be ridiculous Horatio,"_ she quickly said and he could hear that she was smiling. _"I don't want to ruin your plans,"_ she started and didn't give him any chance to interrupt her, _"but since it doesn't look like I have any other chance, I accept your offer…,"_ she sighed in fake defeat.

"Nope, no chance for you ma'am," he grinned happily and grabbed for a piece of paper. "Just tell me when you arrive so I can pick you up."

"_What? No you don't have to pick me up, I can easily get a cab."_

"Stella," he sighed a bit annoyed at her stubbornness. "Most hotels do have a pick up service from the airport so let me have my fun and tell me when your plane arrives."

"_You better not wait for me, wearing a hat and white gloves like a chauffeur,"_ she threatened and told him the arrival time of her flight.

"No that would be too hot, but I might wear a suit and sunglasses, if that is okay for you," he shot back and wrote down the dates.

"_I think I can live with that,"_ she snickered and couldn't help but smile at the thought of seeing him again. Boston seemed like a life time ago and she had to admit that she missed him.

"Good, so I pick you up then. If something changes, just give me a call and we'll work something out," he said and looked at his door when he heard a knock. Seeing Calleigh standing there he waved her in.

"_Will do. And now I don't want to keep you from your paper work which is probably flooding your desk."_

"There might be the chance," he rolled his eyes when his eyes fell on the various piles crowding his desk. "I'll see you next week then?"

"_In case I won't get caught by the police for murdering a certain fairy, you will. Or maybe…I use your guest room as a hideout,"_ she thought out loud. _"Now that's an idea."_

"Maybe I should give Mac a call and tell him to leave the state," Horatio joked. "But until then, have a nice day and don't hit him too hard with his wand; he enabled you a very cheap vacation after all."

"_This is true, but I won't let him get away so easily,"_ she vowed. _"Have a nice day, Horatio. And thank you again for letting me stay. It means a lot to me."_

"Thank you for accepting my offer, Stella. I'll see you in a few days, bye…," he replied and hung up when Stella did the same. "How can I help you Cal?" he asked, trying to be all business again, but failing more or less.

"Well for one, you could tell me about this wand and that someone gets hit with it, but I'm not entirely sure if I really want to know," she giggled. She was pretty sure that Horatio wasn't into drugs and therefore not seeing any fairies or other legendary creatures.

"No you probably really don't want to know," Horatio chuckled along with her. "Do we have a new case?" he asked and pointed at the manila in her hands.

"No, I think I found a new lead in an old case and wanted to talk to you about it," she replied.

"Here or in the gun lab?"

"Gun lab would be better; I just came here to make sure that nothing happened, you looked so worried when the call came in?" she said and got up from her chair. "But I assume that this wasn't necessary, seeing the smile on your face."

"I appreciate your concern," he nodded and smiled gently at her. "And yes, everything is alright, it just looks like we have another guest attending the party."

"Oh the more the merrier," Calleigh said when she smiled appreciatively at him when he opened the door for her. "Who is it? Stella? Stella as in Stella Bonasera from New York?" Of course she was curious; she was a woman after all.

"Yes, yes and…yes," he smiled at her curiosity. "Mac made her to take a vacation and since all hotels are booked, I offered her to stay at my house."

Oh? Now this was interesting. "That's nice, I'm sure she'll enjoy the stay; I know I would," she said. She had always loved his beach house, but she certainly wasn't the only one. There was a reason why most BBQ's took place at Horatio's.

"We can only wait and see, huh?" Horatio joked and together they made their way to the gun lab. He was really looking forward to the meeting and hoped that everything would work out fine. He didn't mind that Stella was staying with him and celebrate his birthday with the others. A birthday party was actually there to spend it with friends and Stella was a friend. A very good friend actually. So she being there was actually a real present for him.

Of course he had no idea, that 1000 miles up north, Stella was now racking her brains of what she could actually give him as a present.

_**tbc**_


	4. Chapter 41

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews again. So Stella told Horatio about her little problem and gentleman that he is, he offered her to stay at his house. Now which woman wouldn't like that? LOL I'm sure I wouldn't mind.**

**Since this chapter would be too long to post it in one go, I decided to divide it into two parts. **

**Chapter 4.1**

With a small sigh, Stella reached for her suitcase and looked around, searching for the exit. Her plane had been exactly on time and in contrast to other times, her luggage had been one of the first arriving in the baggage claim. Normally she was the one who had to wait like for forever until her luggage appeared, but some mysterious forces seemed to be working. _"Mysterious forces, right," _she rolled her eyes, _"and here I thought that I have broken Mac's wand into pieces."_ Smiling at this thought, she shook her head and headed towards the exit.

She still was a bit unsure if this had been such a good idea at all, but now was hardly the time to have second thoughts. Horatio would probably already be waiting for her and it wasn't like she could just book a flight back to New York, right? And why was she actually so edgy about it anyway? She knew Horatio, she could spend the days on the beach, swim in the sea, forget about work, get rid of all the stress and probably (or hopefully?) reconnect with her host. _"Well," _she sighed to herself, _"maybe this is the main reason why I'm nervous."_

The last time they had seen each from face to face had been at Boston Airport. That's where she'd touched him for the last time; smelled his cologne for the last time. And this was also where she'd kissed him just like that and fled into the waiting plane. _"This had been quite a stunt, Stella."_ Horatio had never mentioned this little "outbreak" of hers again, just like her, but she didn't know if this was a good sign or not.

"_Well he's offering you some shelter, so he can't be that mad," _she built herself up. _"And don't forget about the message he sent you, girl… so don't fret!" _It was really time for her to have some vacation. Any more of such thoughts and her head would probably explode or she'd just scream. _"Now let's hope that Miami's finest didn't forget you and you can wait in the waiting area instead of the baggage claim."_

Of course Horatio hadn't forgotten her, though he had to admit that he had left the lab a little bit later than he had planned to. It was certainly a good thing that a Hummer wasn't all that slow and that people would get out of his way even without using the sirens. There were some advantages of driving such a vehicle for sure; like parking right in front of the building without being towed for example. Smiling at that, he quickly glanced at the arrival board to find out if and where Stella's flight had arrived. Attaching his sunglasses around his neck, he made his way to the waiting area with forceful steps; his golden badge giving him just the right amount of respect from other people who consciously or maybe unconsciously got out of his way. Yes, being a police officer had its benefits sometimes.

He had just arrived in the waiting area, when he saw people exiting the customs area, but to his luck Stella wasn't one of them. So he wasn't too late after all. Taking a deep breath, he slowly made his way to the exit, so he wouldn't miss her. Not that there were that many people around, it was a Wednesday after all and the real invasion of tourists would always occur on the weekend. _"At least something Mac has thought of when he booked the flight; not that this would make not booking a hotel for her any better. I really wonder what he was thinking. Well maybe Stella found something out when she gave him a piece of mind," _he thought to himself. That was at least something he could imagine her doing. She had kind of a temper and this made her both charming and interesting; at least for him, in case that meant anything.

Stella still felt a bit nervous when she walked through the customs area and took a deep breath when the sliding door opened. Right now it was a positive kind of nervousness that was bubbling in her belly and she hoped that this was a good sign. For one last time she checked her belongings and set foot in the waiting area.

Horatio spotted her immediately. For one thing because her curly head was easy to spot and for another thing, maybe even more important, she looked striking in this bright summer dress. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander for a bit, even though he chided himself immediately for doing so. Raising his hand, he hoped that she would notice him and smiled when she gave him a small wave. "Stella," he grinned when she stopped in front of him. "It's good to see you again."

"Same goes to you," she gave him a brilliant smile. She didn't know if she should just shake his hand, or hug him. But in the end, she opted for the latter. They'd shared a bed and kissed after all, so a hug wouldn't hurt, right?

No, hugging her certainly didn't hurt him at all; it was quite the opposite actually. So he returned the gesture freely, while normally he wasn't a touchy type of guy. "So," he asked when they broke the hug, "did you have a good flight?"

"Most definitely, time literally flew by," she quipped. "No seriously, it was a nice, quiet flight. Mac brought me to the airport and everything worked out just fine."

"So this was your revenge? Him taking you to the airport?" Horatio chuckled.

"Only a small part of it, I'm still plotting," she laughed and reached for her suitcase, but was beaten by Horatio. Raising a questioning eyebrow she looked at him.

"Please allow me," Horatio bowed down for fun and winked at her. No woman would ever carry her baggage in his presence. "So you're still plotting? Poor Mac, he'll never know what hit him," he changed the subject quickly and gestured her to follow him.

Sighing, Stella acknowledged her defeat and followed him. "Probably not, but his face will be worth it."

"Certainly," Horatio nodded in response and smiled at her. "You're lucky, today is a very mild day for Miami' standards;" he said when they made their way outside of the air-conditioned building.

Stella was about to say something, when she literally ran against a wall of bricks. If this was a _mild_ day, what the heck was a hot day then?

Amused, Horatio put on his sunglasses and did his best to hide a chuckle. Her face was priceless. "I guess this is another entry on your "why I will make Mac suffer" list, huh?"

"You betcha," she groaned and also put on her glasses. It was a good thing that she'd decided on her light dress, even though it had been a bit cold in New York.

"Don't worry, once we're in the city-"

"It's getting even hotter?" she snarked.

"No," he chuckled, "thanks to the sea and the breeze, it becomes more bearable."

"Let's hope so, by goodness!" she mumbled to herself and followed him to the car. Realizing where he had exactly parked, she smirked at him. "Emergency exit? Why Lt. Caine, are you misusing your status a bit?"

For a moment, Horatio actually had the grace to blush a bit, before he recovered himself. "Misusing is such a negative word, Det. Bonasera. It's more like…bending the rules a bit."

"I see," she said and watched him loading her suitcase into the trunk of the Hummer. "And the next thing you're going to tell me is that you only did that because you didn't want me to walk a long distance."

"Exactly," Horatio said and looked at her like as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. Closing the trunk, he walked to the passenger door and opened it for her. "Ma'am."

Accepting his helping hand, she climbed into the vehicle. "Thank you kind Sir," she grinned at him, "for both thinking of my well-being and helping me inside."

"My pleasure," he chuckled and closed the door for her. Then he rounded the hood and climbed into the car. Inside he took a quick glance at his cell phone and was pleasantly surprised that no one had tried to call him. Of course his team knew that he was picking Stella up, but Miami had the tendency of being a crazy city from time to time and perps were rarely interested in his private schedule.

"No call, yet?" Stella asked, because his actions hadn't got unnoticed by her.

"Nope, it seems like Miami is behaving for once," he chuckled and drove the vehicle into the busy streets of Miami. "Plus my team knows that I have more important things to do at the moment."

This was her key word. "I really don't want to become between you and your job, Horatio. I mean, it's already bad enough that I impose on you—"

"Stella," he growled playfully. "We already talked about this whole imposing thing, didn't we? And I think that we agreed on you not imposing on me and we should stick to that. My team can cope without me for awhile and the paperwork won't run away, even though I wouldn't mind if it does…"

"I bet you wouldn't," she smiled lightly and turned her head so she could watch out of the window. "But still."

With a sigh, he looked at her. "Stella, listen to me and listen carefully, because I don't want to repeat myself over and over again." His tone was neither harsh nor strict, but serious enough for her to look at him. "I invited you to stay at my house. You didn't force me to do so and believe me when I say that I'm a big boy and won't get forced that easily against my will. So," he gave her a small smile, "if you continue telling me that you're imposing on me, I will stop this car right now and kick you out."

Surprised at his small "outburst", she blinked. "No...you wouldn't," she smiled confidently.

"Do you really want to push your luck?" he asked in response and lifted one eyebrow.

She tried very hard to read his impression, but realized that he had a very good poker face. "No," she sighed in the end and patted his knee. "Okay, you won, I'll be as good as gold," she smiled sheepishly.

"I seriously doubt of you being good as gold," he replied easily and grinned to himself when he heard her snort. "But I appreciate the effort."

"You better do so, Horatio, I don't want to create a revenge list for you as well," she threatened him playfully.

"Oh I'll definitely try to avoid that," he grinned and was definitely looking forward to the next couple of days. He liked the fact that Stella was so playful and even though she respected him (just like he respected her) she didn't shy away from some verbal banter. Of course he shared the one or other joke with his friends, but since they were also his colleagues, his subordinates, it was sometimes hard to let go of the behavior towards each other they had during work. Stella surely was a welcomed change.

10 miles and 20 minutes later, Horatio stopped the Hummer in the driveway of a white, two storey beach house. The drive there had been rather quiet, but Horatio hadn't minded the silence, it had been a good one. Since Stella had never been to Miami before, her focus had been on the new landscape and not on deep conversations with Horatio. Not that there was something they had to discuss, but they had time for that later anyway. So he had enjoyed watching Stella out of the corner of his eyes, while she'd been enthralled by the things she saw.

"Here we are," he broke the silence finally and killed the engine. "Home Sweet Home."

Stella couldn't help but let her eyes wander from roof to top of the house and feeling a little impressed. She only owned a small apartment in the middle of New York, which actually was some kind of special, but in comparison to _this_ it felt like nothing. "Wow."

Smiling at that, Horatio unbuckled his seat belt. He was very proud of his house and did enjoy the surprised stares coming from others. He wasn't conceited, but he loved his house and if other people liked it as well, it just felt good. "Let's get inside before we get boiled in the car," he proposed and hopped out of the car. Then he walked to the trunk and reached for her suitcase.

Shaking her head to herself, Stella did as she was told and got out of the car herself. "It really is a nice house, Horatio," she told him and shouldered her purse. She didn't even try to get hold of her suitcase, because she already knew that Horatio wouldn't give it to her.

"Let's hope you like the interior as well," he chuckled and climbed the few steps before he reached for his keys and opened the door. "Ma'am," he nodded at her and smiled when she walked ahead of him. Once he was inside he turned on the lights of the hallway and closed the door behind him. "I'm sorry that it's a bit dark in here," he apologized and put down her suitcase. "You can leave your purse here," he gestured to a small table and threw his keys onto it. "I'm going to let some sunshine inside." With that he made his way to the living room and pushed a button to raise the blinds.

Stella did as she was told and slowly, in order not to trip over something, followed him. "Well I can't say much about the interior for now, but.." she smiled when stopped in front of the huge glass window, "I do like your garden."

Laughing at that, Horatio opened the patio door to let some fresh air in. "You're free to go outside if you want to," he joked lightly.

"Oh so no prison for me?" she shot back playfully and took him by his offer and stepped outside. "You certainly didn't lie when you said something about a beach house," she told him when she let her eyes roam over the small garden. Sure, she couldn't see the beach or the sea, but she could hear the waves crashing. "It's beautiful, Horatio," she said and turned to him when he stopped next to her. "You must feel privileged to own such a house."

"I do," he nodded slowly. "When I saw the house, I just knew that it was mine. I never regretted buying it and hope I never will."

Stella let her eyes wander from his face to the beauty that was lying in front of her. The garden wasn't huge, but she assumed that having a garden at all was something very special; that's at least like it was in New York and all the other big cities around the world. They were standing on a small patio, with a brick-built BBQ and some garden furniture. A few feet away further into the garden, there was a palm tree with a garden swing beneath. She could already picture herself sitting on it.

"So are you up to see the rest of the house?" Horatio interrupted her thoughts and without her even realizing, he had already moved back into the coolness of the house again.

"Sure," she smiled and with one last look she went inside again.

"Okay, just so you know…you'll find the kitchen, the living room, the laundry room and a small guest bathroom on this floor. But for now, you're probably more interested in your room for the next days," he smiled at her and as a good host he once again reached for her baggage and took the lead this time when he climbed up the stairs.

"Well I hope I won't get lost in the house," she snickered and followed him.

"I can draw you a plan if you want to," he turned his head and winked at her.

"Mhm, I don't think that this will be necessary, but thanks for the offer."

"I aim to please, ma'am," he responded easily and stopped in front of a closed door. "Well since your stay was a bit unexpected, I didn't have that much time to prepare the room, but I think you don't mind sleeping on a cot, right?" he asked nonchalantly. "I mean, otherwise you'd have slept underneath a bridge, so a cot is real luxury."

Staring at him, Stella couldn't help but blink. A cot? He couldn't be serious, now could he? No, he was making fun of her. Most definitely. At least she dared to hope so. "Sure, a cot would be gr-," she started, but was a loss of words when he opened the door for her and let her see the room she was supposed to sleep in for her vacation. "Oh my..," she mumbled when she stepped inside and suddenly spun around to give him a glare. "Very funny, Horatio Caine."

To his defense, Horatio really tried his best to stifle a laugh, but her face was indeed too hilarious. Even her icy glare couldn't stop him and so just let it out. "You should see your face Stella, I've never seen you that…that.."

"That what?" she challenged him and did her best to keep her angry front, but it got harder by the second.

"I can't even describe it," he said and carried in her baggage. "I hope this is okay for you," he gestured to the room.

"I know I sound like a broken record, but it's..wow..," she laughed and lightly slapped his arm. "If this is a cot in your eyes, I really want to know what you call a bed," she said and sat down on the queen size bed.

"Well maybe I lied about the cot," he said and blushed at her raised eyebrows. "Okay, I _did _lie about the cot; you got me, happy now?"

"Uh-huh," she smiled in satisfaction. "CSI, remember?" she pointed at herself.

"But you're on vacation, so you cheated," he didn't surrender that easily. "But anyway, my bedroom is next door and you can find the bathroom on the other side. There's a small office further down, but you're not allowed to go there."

"Oh?" she asked. "Hiding your secret Cuban cigars in there?"

"Ha, you bet," he grinned, but then shook his head. "Nope, more like strict orders from a certain fairy."

Stella literally felt when her jaw hit the ground. "Please don't tell me that he called you," she asked in complete and utter disbelief.

He should have taken his camera with him; Stella's facial impressions were getting better and better. "You know, it's almost too easy," he said easily and tilted his head a bit. "No, he didn't call me, don't worry. But let's leave it lo that. The office is work and you're on vacation. Those two just don't match."

"You do realize that you're playing with fire, right?" she scolded him and gave him a disapproving glare.

"Yep I do and that's why I'm going to lock my door tonight;" he nodded in response. "And just so you can make a plan, I'll leave you alone for now. Why don't you get accustomed with your room and everything? Are you hungry?" Seeing her shake her head no, he just nodded. "Okay, I'll be downstairs in the kitchen and get us something to drink. Just come down when you're ready." And with that, he closed the door behind him and left her alone.

Stella just closed her eyes and shook her head. And they always said that she could be quite a handful! She didn't remember him being that playful, but she didn't mind at all. Maybe he acted like this, because this was his refuge, his home and his city. He probably felt more comfortable here than he did Boston back then. Or he felt more comfortable around her? With a sigh she slumped on the bed and stretched her arms. No need to think about such things when she was living under the same roof with him. Now she needed to unpack her things and get a little freshened up before she'd meet him downstairs again.

_**Tbc and please let me know what you think**_


	5. Chapter 4 part 2

**A/N: And here is the second part of chapter 4. Hope you like it. **

**Chapter 4.2**

About 30 minutes later, Stella emerged from her bedroom again, feeling a little bit more refreshed after getting into new clothes, and walked down the stairs in search of Horatio. She had unpacked her things and put them into the cupboard and had afterwards inspected the bathroom. It had seemed that this was also a guest bathroom, because she hadn't found anything that belonged to Horatio in this room, but this didn't surprise her at all. The house was certainly big enough to have a so called master bedroom accompanied with a master bathroom.

When she reached the first floor, she stopped and looked around. She didn't hear Horatio and from what it looked like, he wasn't in the living room. Well, he had said something about the kitchen, but this brought her to the question, where this ominous kitchen was. Shrugging, she let her CSI instincts kick in and walked towards an open door. Maybe she should ask him for a plan after all. "Or maybe not," she smiled to herself when she found herself looking inside the correct room. Well now she'd found the kitchen, but the host of the house was still missing. "I'm barely in Miami and already have the first case," she snickered and was torn between getting herself a drink (which would include rummaging through his kitchen cabinets and fridge) or just keep on searching for Horatio. In the end it was fate that decided for her.

"Dad, are you here?" Kyle called after he closed the door behind him. He stepped out of his shoes and shuffled through the hallway in order to find his old man. The chances to find him in the house were pretty high; the Hummer was outside after all. "Dad?" he called once again and stopped dead in his tracks when he entered the kitchen and saw a stranger standing there. "You're not my father," he said surprised and had no idea what was going on.

"Uhm…," Stella replied eloquently and was saved by another voice.

"Kyle stop shouting, I'm not deaf," Horatio voice could be heard and soon afterwards he appeared in the kitchen. "What are you doing here..oh…," he started when he noticed his two guests eying each other. "Oh, so you already met," he smiled amused and gestured between them. "Kyle, this is my very good friend, Stella Bonasera. Stella, this is my son Kyle," he introduced them to each other.

Stella was the first one who found her voice again and smiled at the boy. "Nice to meet you Kyle, I've heard a lot about you," she said and offered her hand.

"Only good things I hope," the boy grinned broadly and shook his head. "I'm sorry for scaring you Miss Bonasera," he apologized.

"You didn't and it's Stella," she shook her head and couldn't help but looking at the young man in front of her. He had his father's eyes and the way he was pushing his hands on his hips was so much Horatio that she nearly had to laugh at the gesture.

Being happy with this first contact, Horatio walked to the fridge and reached for some home made ice tea. "What are you doing here Kyle? I thought that they wanted you to help out the night shift?" he asked when he poured them a drink.

"Well that's what I thought as well, but when I arrived at the lab, they told me that they don't need me and well…here I am," he grinned.

"_Oh my, he also has__ Horatio's dimples, this is so cute,"_ Stella thought to herself and accepted the drink Horatio was offering her.

"Here you are indeed, Son," Horatio nodded and took a sip of his drink. "Even though it would have been nice, if they told you a bit more early."

"Yeah, but it's okay, I'm not really into working night shift," the boy shrugged. "So I wanted to visit you, but…I totally forgot that Miss..Bon..ah..Stella," he saved his small faux pas, "would arrive today, so I better get going," he said and started toying with his glass.

"_This is getting better and better," _Stella smiled, when she noticed the small gesture. She had just known him for five minutes, but she could already say that Kyle was indeed his father's son. "Oh...no…no...just pretend I'm not here at all," she said seriously. She didn't want to come between some bonding time between those two. "I can get upstairs and read something."

"Don't be ridiculous, Stella," Horatio smiled softly. "Have you already eaten, Kyle?"

"Nope, wanted to do that at the lab, but.," he shrugged.

"Well we haven't eaten either, so what about ordering some pizza? Would that be okay for you?" he looked at Stella, because for one thing he already knew Kyle's answer to that and for another thing, he wanted her confirmation that it was okay if Kyle stayed here with them. Of course, this was his house and his son, but Stella was his guest and as a good host he would follow her wishes.

"Pizza sounds great," she smiled at him and didn't mind spending some time with father and son. She'd always tried to imagine what kind of boy he was and now she had the front seats; there was no way that she would decline this offer.

Nodding, Horatio looked at his son. "You're in?"

"You already know the answer to that one, Dad."

"That I do, that I do," Horatio chuckled and reached for his cell phone. He was looking forward to dinner and hoped that Stella and Kyle would get along. Not that he had doubts about that, but still, you never knew.

Dinner had been a pleasant affair and now they were all sitting in the living room together chatting about this and that. Stella and Horatio were both sitting on his couch, while Kyle had chosen his favorite place in the house – his dad's very comfortable reading chair.

"So you're working in the morgue?" Stella asked intrigued and sipped on her red wine.

"Yeah," Kyle nodded and grinned, "definitely the place with the best air-condition in whole Miami."

Horatio could only snort at that. "Well that wasn't what you told me the first time you had to go there," he pointed out amused and winked at his son who blushed a bit.

"Well the morgue is a...weird...special place, to say at least. Not something I actually enjoy being in I have to admit," Stella said. "But I'm curious why you've chosen the morgue of all places?"

"Dad made me," the boy exclaimed in his best acting manner.

"I didn't _make _you," Horatio corrected him, "I just gave you a good opportunity to earn your own money, so you can live on your own." Of course his main criteria at that time had been the fact to show Kyle that fast driving could have deadly consequences, but it wasn't something that everyone needed to know. This was between him and his son.

"You live on your own?" Stella asked and then rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry for interrogating you, sometimes it's hard to silence the CSI in me."

"Oh I'm used to that thanks to Dad," Kyle laughed. "But yes, Dad bought me an apartment and if I don't want to starve, I need some money for living. And to be honest, I really like working in the morgue. Sure, it's not always easy, but it's an important work and I think it's interesting," he shrugged.

"It is very important," Stella nodded in agreement. "I don't know what we would do without it."

"And I don't want to find out," Horatio chimed in. He was happy that Stella and Kyle got along so well and that the boy wasn't shy in answering Stella's questions. He knew that Kyle had some issues when it came to trusting people, not that Horatio was any different in that area, and so it meant a lot to him seeing Kyle talk so freely with a complete stranger. Stella really had her ways around men. _"And maybe he can sense that they're kindred spirits somehow,"_ he mused and smiled at that thought. "Do you want another drink?" he asked Stella when he noticed her empty glass.

"Stop trying to get me tipsy," she chided him softly and smirked at Kyle who laughed.

"I am not trying to get you..," Horatio started and rolled his eyes at her, when he realized that she'd teased him. "Very funny, now you won't get anymore wine at all."

"You're mean," she pouted, but then shook her head. "Then it's a good thing that I don't want anymore wine tonight, because I'm already getting sleepy."

Looking at his watch, Horatio could understand why. "Well it's already past ten and you had a long day," he said softly.

"Well I think that's my cue then," Kyle smiled and was immediately stopped by Stella.

"No, you don't have to leave just because I'm not a night owl tonight." She didn't want the boy to leave because of her.

"It's alright, I have to get up early tomorrow for my shift," Kyle shook his head and got up from the chair.

"Let me show you to the door," Horatio rose as well.

"It was nice meeting you, Stella," Kyle said politely.

"It was nice meeting you as well, Kyle. I'm sure we'll see us again." At Horatio's birthday party at the latest. She was sure that Kyle would be there as well.

"I guess there are good chances for that," Kyle grinned and with one last nod he left the living room, his father in tow.

"Thanks for stopping by tonight, Son," Horatio said sincerely while he watched Kyle getting his things together. The fact that the boy visited him just like that meant a lot to Horatio. It was a sign that Kyle enjoyed his father's presence and this was all Horatio could have hoped for.

"Well, I'm sorry that I ruined your evening with Stella a bit though," the boy answered sheepishly and slipped into his shoes.

"You didn't ruin anything, Kyle. I enjoyed the evening a lot actually."

Smiling at that, the boy shrugged, unsure of what to say. "Yeah it was nice, Stella is a nice lady," he smirked.

"She is," Horatio agreed wholeheartedly and opened the door for him.

"Well thanks for the pizza and have a good night, Dad," Kyle hugged his father and refrained from adding a 'with Stella' comment.

"You too, Son," Horatio nodded and waited until Kyle reached his car, "drive safely," he then added.

"Ain't I always?" the boy drawled and quickly got into the car, before Horatio could answer this question.

"You better do that," Horatio said softly to himself and gave one last wave to his son, before he closed the door and locked it. When he entered the living room, he noticed that Stella had begun to gather their glasses. "So," he asked and reached for the small snack bowls on the coffee table. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"To be honest…no," she shook her head and walked into the kitchen with him. "Maybe lying on the beach? I don't know," she shrugged.

"Well if you don't mind a tip from a Miami local," he chuckled, "I think there's something you'd enjoy."

"Oh I certainly don't mind a good tip. What do you have in mind?"

"Let me first say that it has nothing to do with the beach," he started and continued when she showed him that this was no problem at all, "it's called Coral Castle. It is a tourist attraction in some way, but not a typical one."

"Coral Castle?" she asked. "I've never heard of that before."

"That doesn't surprise me. As I said, it's not a typical tourist attraction like the Glades, the Zoo or the beach as such. It's a museum.. in some way," he furrowed his brows and tried to find a good way to explain it to her. "It's a sculpture garden, made of coral stone by one single man. In case I remember it correctly, it took him almost 30 years to actually finish it. To be honest it's amazing and unbelievable the same time."

"Sounds really interesting. Where is it?"

"Only a few miles away actually, if you want to we can visit it tomorrow."

Wait what? "We?" she repeated in case she had misunderstood him.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "If you don't mind taking me along that is," he gave her his boyish grin.

"And what about work?" she asked him suspiciously. Not that she would mind spending time with him, but she didn't want him to get into trouble.

"Well," he started and scratched his neck, "as chance would have it, I've taken a few days off."

"Oh you did?" she grinned at him. "What a coincidence."

"It is, isn't it?" he smiled, knowing that she could see right through his charade. "But there's a catch."

"Isn't there always?" she laughed. "What is it?"

"Well considering that the party is on Friday and tomorrow is Thursday, I need to do some grocery shopping afterwards. But if you're not interested in that, I can easily take you home and then drive to the supermarket. That shouldn't be a problem actually." He didn't want her to spend her vacation in a common supermarket.

"Mhm grocery shopping, huh? I don't see what's wrong with that and if you want to I can also contribute something to your BBQ. I mean, you gave me a home and invited me, there's no way I go there with empty hands."

Horatio literally had a feeling of déjà-vu. Now it was not only his team pestering him, but Stella as well. "I won't even try to talk you out of that idea," he raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Very good," she grinned from ear to ear. "So Coral Castle and shopping it is?"

"Yep," he nodded and smiled when she yawned. "I hope you've found everything you need upstairs?" he asked when they both made their way to the second floor.

"Most definitely, thank you," she nodded. "When do you want to leave tomorrow?"

"Oh I don't know. Ten maybe? After breakfast anyway."

"Good then I'll set the alarm clock." When she stopped at her bedroom door, Horatio did the same. "I had a really nice evening, thanks to you and Kyle. He's a great kid."

"He is," Horatio nodded and it was easy to see the proud behind those words. "I'm glad that you enjoyed the evening. And now I don't want to keep you up any longer, so…"

"I'm not that tired," she denied, but yawned again. Seeing Horatio raise his eyebrows she smiled sheepishly. "A bit maybe," she admitted.

"Maybe a bit more than a bit, huh?" he grinned. "Sleep tight."

"I will," she nodded and hugged him again without thinking. "But you as well."

"I'm trying my best for you Ma'am," Horatio smiled down at her and slowly released her.

"Good," she replied and opened her door. "See you tomorrow."

"Bright and early," he saluted and walked to his room.

"Jester," she mumbled and walked into her room. Once inside, she closed the door behind her and leaned against it. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and willed the butterflies in her stomach to stop. Being in proximity with Horatio was both pleasure and torture.

Even though Boston had been months ago, time hadn't decreased her feelings towards this man at all. The thing was just that she wasn't sure what kind of feelings they were. Physical attraction? Certainly. Friendly feelings? Most definitely. But something else? She had no idea. _"No need to analyze that right now, girl. You're too tired for that anyway. Now all you need is a good night's sleep."_ She just hoped that she would get some.

What she didn't know was that she wasn't the only one in the house having such thoughts.

_**tbc**_


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews. They surely make my day when I read them. **

**Chapter 5**

"So this is Coral Castle?" Stella asked when she stepped out of Horatio's GMC. After a relaxed breakfast they had driven of to the tourist attraction and just like Horatio had said the night before, it hadn't taken them long at all.

"Well, wait until you're inside, then you'll see its whole beauty," Horatio smiled and locked the car when Stella had fetched her purse. The parking lot was rather deserted right now, probably because it was the middle of the week and most Miami citizens would be at work right now. Not that Horatio minded that a bit, he didn't like overly crowded places, except of a basketball arena of course; so coming here today had been a good idea. "You ready?"

"Yep, can't wait to get inside," she nodded and joined him on his way to the entry. "You better didn't exaggerate when you talked about this last night, my expectations are sky high now," she grinned at him and immediately rolled her eyes when he ordered two tickets for them. It wasn't that she didn't like it that he behaved like a real gentleman, but sometimes he overdid it a bit.

"I promise you I didn't," he just grinned at her and ignored her disapproving face when he handed her the ticket. "Let's get in," he motioned her to take the lead and laughed when she stopped in front of the so called door; a door that was actually a massive stone that weight about nine tons.

"Stop laughing," she hissed playfully and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "This isn't funny, now tell me where the entry is."

"It's just in front of you," Horatio said nonchalant and stepped next to her. "Let me use my magic hands," he said and stretched his fingers just for the act. "Abracadabra," he murmured and tipped against the stone with only one finger. Slowly, but steadily the door opened in front of them. "See?" he asked and gave her a lopsided grin when he noticed her open mouth. "I'm magic."

Stella felt the sudden urge to rub her eyes. This was impossible; yet she'd seen it with her own eyes. "Wow…"

"I guess your fear about me exaggerating is gone now, huh?" he said satisfied and urged her to set foot in the museum.

"It's either that or I need to see the eye doctor," she mumbled and followed him inside.

"Nah, you don't have to. That's the magic of Coral Castle. The builder of the castle, Ed Leedskalnin, built it without any technical equipment and yet you can open it with a single finger. Amazing, isn't it?"

"It is," she nodded in pure awe. "And I take it that you either have been here before, or that you read the brochure," she then said and pointed at the leaflet in his hand.

"Both," he chuckled and tilted his head in question. "Do you want to take a route or should we just walk around on our own?"

"Mhm," normally she liked taking a route, especially when she'd never been in a park before, but since Horatio had been here before, she didn't mind being a little adventurous. "I take the latter if that's okay for you."

"Sure," Horatio shrugged, "whatever you wish."

"A man after my liking," she joked and linked arms with him.

Looking down at her, Horatio couldn't help but smile. Taking a few days off in order to spend them with Stella had been a very good idea. "That's good to know," he chuckled and winked at her, even though it was hard to see due to the sunglasses they were both wearing. "Then let's go.."

Stella had no idea how much time had passed, but what she did know was that she'd never been that truly amazed by something as she'd been by this park. Every corner offered something more spectacular, more unbelievably then the last one. Now they were standing in front of a fountain all made of coral stone and she couldn't help but be mesmerized again.

"The moon fountain," Horatio began to read out the brochure, "represents three phases of the moon. The rock left represents the first quarter phase, the rock at the right is the last quarter phase and the fountain represents the full moon. The whole thing weights about 23 tons. Unbelievable."

Stella agreed wholeheartedly. This was beyond unbelievable, considering the fact that a single man built this with his hands alone. "Yeah," she said softly and took a step towards the fountain. "Oh look, it's a wishing well," she said and pointed to the coins that were lying on the ground.

"They probably use the money for charities," Horatio thought out loud.

"Should we try it?" she smiled mysteriously and already searched her pockets for a few pennies.

"Sure, why not. You should never ignore a wishing well," he grinned and suddenly had some pennies in his hands. "You first."

"Okay," she smiled and felt like a little kid again. She closed her eyes, thought about her wish and threw the coins into the water.

"So what did you wish for?" Horatio asked curiously.

"Ha! As if I would tell you," she chided him.

"Why not?" he inquired.

"Because then it won't come true," she told him in her best 'duh' voice. "It's like blowing out the candles on your birthday cake; there's no way you'd tell anyone about your wish."

"You're just mean," he pouted and then followed her example and threw some coins into the fountain. "But be aware that I won't tell you about my wish either," he stated smugly. "Except of…if you tell me your wish first."

"Well I don't want to know your wish," she gave him an evil grin and walked to the next monument.

This wasn't how he had planned this. "Damn," he mumbled under his breath and really wanted to know what her wish was. "That's not fair," he exclaimed and pulled a face when he heard her laughing. He had to think about a different plan, but right now he needed to follow her. "So what did you find?" he asked, but didn't get a response immediately. "Stella?"

"Huh? Oh…sorry, look at this," she answered a bit distracted and didn't tear her eyes from the object in front of her. It was a heart-shaped coral rock table with a red blooming ixora growing from its centre.

Horatio wasn't surprised that she liked this. Was there something more romantic than this? Probably not. "Well," he started and rested his hand on her shoulder, "Ed created this castle...I mean...he created everything for one woman, for the love of his life. For a woman who had actually rejected him, even though she'd been his fiancée. Guess this piece must have been especially hard to build."

"I'm sure it was," Stella sighed and leaned into Horatio a bit. "Sad but romantic."

"Yeah, on Valentine's Day, the park is full of couples and it wouldn't surprise me if the one or other wedding proposal would happen here. Ed probably didn't find love again, but he sure helps other people in doing so."

Stella just nodded at that and enjoyed both the feeling of being close to him and that he didn't pull back; instead he wrapped his arm around her waist and let her snuggle even closer. Just like in Boston, but this time neither of them could blame the cold. "Such a silly girl, he must have loved her a lot."

"Sometimes it's just too late when you find out how much someone means to you," Horatio said softly. And sometimes you knew it, but the time with this certain someone was just too short.

"Yeah," she agreed, but then shook her head. No need to become melancholy. It was a beautiful day and not the time to dwell on sad things. "Let's find out what other things Ed has in store for us," she suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Horatio nodded. "Though I think, we've already seen most of the things. I mean, look at the time, we've been here for a few hours now."

"Time just flies by," she commented with a smile when she realized how late it already was. "So do you still want to do some grocery shopping?" she asked when they continued walking.

"Yeah, and my offer still stands, I can take you home and then head to the supermarket."

"No need, I already told you, that I'd come with you," she chided him softly. There was no way that she'd forget about contributing something to the party.

"It was worth a try," he chuckled and didn't try to talk her out of this; he knew her Grecian mentality and he didn't see any need to get on her bad side.

"It was, but unnecessary," she pointed out and took one last look at the beauty that was behind them. Coral Castle really was a miracle and she was happy that she'd accepted Horatio's offer to come here. This was something she wouldn't forget so easily.

"You know, I actually thought that I'd be the one doing all the shopping and not my guest," Horatio commented when he leaned onto the cart. "Guess I was proven wrong."

Stella gave him a small smile and didn't even think about justifying herself but reached for the next article on the list. Somehow she had managed to leave the cart to Horatio, while she was busy walking through the aisles to find everything they needed for the BBQ. It was a good thing that all supermarkets of one chain were pretty similar structured and so she didn't have a hard time to orient herself. "Well if it makes you feel better, you're doing a great job in pushing the cart around and having an eye on our prey."

"No it doesn't," Horatio snorted and tried to pout, but in the end, the smile on his face appeared anyway. "So what are your plans for tomorrow? I mean... cooking technical?" he asked and followed her into the aisle. He wouldn't tell her, but he really liked this feeling of domesticity. It felt like going shopping with your wife and while she wielded a sceptre, the husband was dutifully following her. Later at home, he'd be the one to bring in all the bags and she'd store it all away. Yes, this really was a nice feeling and for a moment (or maybe two) he enjoyed it without thinking about reality.

"I thought about something typical Grecian. Pita and tzatziki," Stella replied and brought him out of his daydreaming.

"I've never tried...tzaziki before," he admitted. "At least I think so…"

"I'm sure you'll like it and it will fit perfectly to the baked potatoes that are on your list," she said confidently. "And instead of bread or baguettes, we can use the pita."

"I like that," Horatio nodded. "And you can do that on your own?" he asked curiously. "I mean, I have no doubts about your ability as a cook, but I guess normally that would be family recipes?" he quickly explained, because he didn't want to sound harsh.

"I know what you meant and yes, I guess it's a family recipe normally, but since I don't have a grandmother or mother who could teach me something, I searched in the internet and found some really nice recipes. They're pretty easy anyway. I think," she looked at him and grinned, "even you could make it."

"Hey," he furrowed his brows in response, "what is that supposed to mean? I'm a good cook." At least when he was in the mood for cooking and not only for himself, anyway.

"And that's why we had pizza yesterday?" she challenged him and enjoyed this immensely. She didn't doubt that Horatio could cook; she had the decent feeling that he was one of the few men who had gone to "cooking school" at their mother's. This was rather rare nowadays, which was a shame actually. She couldn't name a woman who didn't like to be cooked for.

"I couldn't let my son and guest starve, now could I?" Horatio replied and couldn't shake off the feeling that she was playing with him and his pride. "What do you think about something Italian at the weekend?"

"Pizza again?" she joked, but was all ears.

"No," he pulled a face, "but what do you think about penne all'arrabiata and garlic bread?" he challenged her and took her bait without a second thought.

Stella just smiled inwardly and was very proud of herself. Sometimes it was almost too easy to get what you wanted. "Arrabiata, huh?"

"Yep," he nodded and pushed the cart forward. When he was next to her, he leaned in. "It's hot. Hope you can stand that."

Taking the double entendre, she leaned in as well and whispered into his ear, "Believe me, I like it _hot_." Leaning back, she noticed with female pride that Horatio had to gulp. _"Game, set and match to me, Mr. Caine."_ "And now I need some garlic for the tzaziki and your bread," she continued as if nothing had happened and left him standing there.

"_Damn, this woman is good,"_ Horatio grumbled and could still feel the shudder that had erupted from him, when her lips had oh so innocently brushed his earlobe. She knew exactly how to push his buttons and the effect she had on him.

This woman was a real bomb package that needed to be treated carefully.

Maybe being a former Bomb Squad member wasn't that bad at all.

_**tbc**_


	7. Chapter 6 part 1

**A/N: And here it is.. finally.. the birthday has arrived. I know you've been waiting for this day since the beginning. LOL Once again I'll divide this chapter into two parts or it'd be too long. Thank you all for your reviews. I love them. **

**Chapter 6****.1**

Horatio was busy preparing the barbecue, when he heard the doorbell ring. A quick look at his watch told him that it was actually too early for his guests, since he didn't expect them to arrive before 7, but then again, his team was always a bit unpredictable when it came to free food and drinks. Smiling at this, Horatio entered the house and walked to the front door and while doing so, sneaking a glance into the kitchen where Stella was busy preparing her pita. "I'll get it," he said, even though there was no need to do so. He and Stella had only been "living together" for only a couple of days, but it actually felt like years to him and this in a good way.

And it seemed like Horatio wasn't the only one feeling like this, because without thinking twice, Stella turned towards the entry and lifted her hands that were covered in flour and dough. "Thanks."

Yes, they were really quite a pair. Mentally shaking his head, Horatio looked through the peep hole and was surprised to see Natalia standing there. She was the last one he had considered of arriving so early, but life was apparently always full of surprises. "Natalia," he greeted her when he opened the door, "what brings you here so early?"

"I'm sorry, Horatio," she gave him a sheepish smile. "I just came by to give you the punch. I'm not sure if I can make it tonight, because I was called in a few moments ago by the night shift and...oh well... it looks like it's going to be a big case."

"Oh no," Horatio's smile disappeared immediately. "What a shame," he sighed when his eyes fell onto the bowl in her hands. "And still you made the punch, this wasn't necessary…"

"It was. I promised you and I'll keep my promises," she smiled at him and shook her head. "And it was nothing actually, I can make it with closed eyes," she laughed and tilted her head in question and surprise when she heard a female voice calling Horatio.

"Horatio, where are you hiding your baking paper?" Stella called in slight frustration, because it was nowhere to be found. Only god knew where the man was hiding it.

"I think this was my cue," Horatio smiled coyly and gestured towards the bowl. "Give it to me, no need for you to carry this heavy thing."

"Oh I can manage," Natalia quipped. Her female curiosity was on full alert now, because she didn't recognize the voice at all. "Just tell me where the kitchen is," she continued and entered the house, when Horatio stepped out of the way.

"First door on your right," he instructed her and knew only too well that there was no way to stop her now.

When Stella heard someone nearing the kitchen, she turned around and put on a disapproving face, which immediately disappeared when she saw Natalia entering the room. It seemed like the kitchen was the room where she was meeting all new people. "Oh hi.."

"Hi," Natalia greeted her with a big grin. "Don't mind me, I just wanted to drop off the punch," she said easily and put the bowl down onto the small kitchen table.

"Stella, this Is Natalia Boa Vista. Natalia, this is Stella Bonasera," Horatio introduced the two, knowing that it wouldn't be the last time that he had to do that this evening.

"I'd offer you a hand, but," Stella smiled at the other woman and raised her sticky hands.

"That's fine, don't worry," she put her off with a small smile. "I'd really like to stay longer," and dear lord did she want to stay longer, "but I need to get going or they'll call me again," she said apologetically.

"It's a shame that you can't be here," Horatio said and started to rummage through his cupboards. "But why don't you give me a call later on and we'll put something aside for you in case you can make it?" he offered her.

"That'd be nice, Horatio. I'll definitely give you a call no matter what. Oh by the way, have you heard of Ryan?" she asked and watched the scene in front of her. She'd never seen Horatio acting around a woman like this in his house. Of course she knew he'd been married with Eric's sister, but somehow, the team had never managed to come together, while Marisol had been alive. Of course she had no idea if this woman actually was his girlfriend, and she actually doubted that because the rumour mill had no bets on him at the moment, but there was something going on; she just couldn't put her finger on it. And this was driving the CSI in her mad.

"Yeah," Horatio nodded and grinned broadly when he handed Stella the baking paper. "There you go, ma'am" he said smugly and then turned his attention back to Natalia. "He's confined to bed. When I saw him Wednesday morning, I sent him straight back home."

"Well he's been coughing and sneezing for a few days now," Natalia nodded in understanding and jumped in surprise when her cell rang. "Oh snap! I really need to get going. It was nice meeting you, Stella," she nodded at the woman and then looked at Horatio. "I'll give you a call. Later!" she waved and quickly made her way to the front door, while taking the call.

"Now that was quick," Stella commented when she heard the door shut.

"Yeah, that's our Natalia," Horatio said lightly and eyed the dough. "It's already finished?"

"Uh-huh, I told you it is easy," Stella replied and put the dough onto the baking plate. "She's one of your CSIs?" Of course Stella was curious about this pretty woman in Horatio's life. Not because she was jealous or something, no, she just...wanted to know.

"Yeah, she's one of our DNA specialists," Horatio nodded in response and opened the oven for her.

"She's…pretty." _"Okay where did that came from?" _she berated herself.Well maybe she was a bit jealous, but only a bit. She had no reason for that anyway.

"She is," Horatio chuckled softly and wasn't a hundred percent sure, but her comment sounded like she was testing him a bit. Maybe this was a purely natural thing, or maybe he was on the wrong track anyway, but he decided to reassure her. "And she also has the tendency to attract the wrong guys, so I'm trying to keep an eye on her," he continued then and closed the oven again.

"_You're perfect in making a fool of yourself, Stella. Now get a grip and concentrate on other things." _"I uhm..didn't mean it like that," she said quickly and did her best to concentrate on her new task – scrubbing her sticky hands.

"So you think she isn't pretty?" Horatio couldn't help but tease her again and laughed when she shot him a glare. "Peace?" he grinned and offered her a small towel. Before she could reply though, he continued, "Natalia's been through a lot in the last couple of years, especially when it comes to her not so happy marriage with a beating husband. She's safe from him now, since he's dead, but the wounds still need time to heal."

And Stella knew exactly how long it could take until time healed such wounds. "I didn't mean to pry.."

"You didn't and it's okay. I think it's a good idea to tell you a few things about my team anyway, since you'll meet them in a few hours. I don't want you to be thrown in at the deep end, especially since I know my team and their...hmmm… nosiness."

"Nosiness? As CSI's? Now that's a surprise," Stella smiled, thankful for his change of topics.

"It is, isn't it?" he winked and motioned her to follow him. "Okay...where to start? Ah...let's start with our charming Cuban and his not so secret liaison with my second in command…."

"No Natalia, it's perfectly alright that you won't make it," Horatio cradled his cell between his head and his shoulder and tried to grab some bottles from the fridge. "Of course I'm not upset; I'd be upset if you'd come over here though you're dead tired," he assured her and smiled at her reply. "You know me, I'm always looking out for my friends. So promise me that you drive home now and don't feel bad about the party. And yes that's an order Miss Natalia." Doing his best to not let the drinks slip out of his hands, he just waited for her reply and said goodbye to her. Of course he would have liked to see her on the party, but it was almost 11 pm and Natalia had been working for the whole time, so she rather needed a bed or a hot bath then driving here. There was always another party after all and his guests were quite a handful already.

And talking about handful, he just knew that they were breeding mischief when he entered the garden again. It was never a good sign when his team was huddled together. "Hey, stop concocting," he warned them and gave out the new drinks.

"Concocting? We?" Frank did his best innocent impression, which was rather futile because he couldn't stop grinning.

"Well I was in the house and you were huddling together. That's always dangerous," Horatio pointed out and sat down next to Stella. "I hope they didn't try to turn you against me," he whispered to her, but loud enough so the others could hear it as well.

"As if they'd ever try that," Stella whispered back, clearly amused by his antics.

"Ha, you don't know my team as well as I do," Horatio shot back and winked at Alexx, who was sitting across from him.

"Nonsense, we just talked about things we hate to encounter at crime scenes and I talked about ants," Calleigh explained and shivered at the thought. Ants had never been her friends and never would be.

"True, you never liked those insects," Horatio nodded and knew all too well about Calleigh's phobia.

"As if you like insects," Stella couldn't help but throw in.

"Why? I'm not afraid of them."

"But your face was quite pale when Dr. Grissom gave his lecture about them," she pointed out and grinned at him.

"First of all," Horatio started and waved his finger at the amused stares of his team, "I'm always pale. And second, it surely wasn't me who sought refuge in a bomb seminar just to avoid the critters," he arched his brows and gave her a pointing glare.

"Mhm and it was pure coincidence that you'd been there as well instead of listening to Gil?" Stella didn't back down, though she had to admit that he was quite right with what he said.

"Oh well, bombs are my special field," Horatio started and was interrupted by Alexx.

"Oh yes, he attracts anything which is ready to explode," she nodded. "So you really have to look out for him."

"Very true, do you still remember when he drove into this building, minutes before it was blown up?" Eric asked and reached for his glass. "I almost wet my pants while I waited for him," he shook his head.

"Why did you do that, Dad?" Kyle asked, because this surely wasn't harmless.

"We knew that there was a hostage inside and we couldn't stop the detonation. So the only solution had been to drive into the building and get the man out." Of course he knew that this had been a great risk, but sometimes he had the slight tendency to not think about such things.

"And of course it was you, who had to drive," Frank snorted and shook his head.

"Well," Horatio countered and looked at his Texan friend, "let me remind you that I'm not the only one here who's attracting trouble, right Frank? Wasn't there something about a…landmine?"

"Oh don't remind me of that," Frank just grumbled and should have known better than to challenge the redhead.

"A landmine? Here?" Stella asked intrigued. "So do I have to be worried when I go to the beach?"

"Only when Frank is with you," Horatio deadpanned and couldn't help but laugh. "Miles of beach and our Frank located the only landmine around by stepping on it."

"You stepped on it?" Kyle and Stella asked in unison.

"Yeah," Frank mumbled. "Teaches me to go to the beach," he then added and looked at Horatio reproachfully. "And you were just standing there and enjoyed the sight while I was scared shitless!"

"Oh yeah I did," Horatio snickered. "I've never seen you so subdued before in my whole life."

"Now that's not nice Dad," Kyle shook his head at his father and Stella agreed wholeheartedly.

"Hey, I wasn't that bad, I was with him the whole time," Horatio defended himself in mock hurt. Frank had been a nervous wreck and there'd been no way that he would leave his friend alone in that situation. He had had to stay calm for Frank no matter how nervous he had been inside himself.

"That's true, he'd been there even when the Bomb Squad started their work," Alexx nodded.

"Yeah, and you know what he said when the bomb was finally defused and I said something about that's hell of a way to start a day?" Frank asked. "He said, "and it's only eight o'clock"."

At that, Horatio and Eric started to laugh again. "And days later this water heater crashed into your car," Eric brought out and laughed even harder.

"My _new_ car," Frank mumbled.

"Yes, you had _just_ bought it," Horatio underlined that with a nod. "And people call _me_ a trouble magnet," he shook his head in dismay. "That's not fair."

"Oh that's more than fair, Honey," Alexx intervened. "While Frank has had bad luck, you're literally searching for such situations." Seeing his look, she gave him a knowing stare. "And don't look at me like that. Who's driving a car with a bomb inside?"

"Well…," Horatio got a little smaller in his chair, "that...uhm…would be me I guess. But I had the best intentions," he clarified halfheartedly.

"You see," Alexx ignored her friend and looked at Stella, "he _is_ a trouble magnet, even though he's one with good intentions."

"The evidence leads to that conclusion," Stella nodded and smiled when she heard Horatio groan.

"It's very impolite to pull the birthday boy's leg," Horatio exclaimed and did his best to hide his grin.

"It's not your birthday yet," Kyle pointed at his watch.

"Et tu Brute?" Horatio asked and sighed theatrically. "Then let me rephrase that; it's not nice to tease the host. There, better?"

"Yes it's better, but it has pretty much the same non-existing effect," Eric smiled and had a nice time while teasing his brother-in-law. He would have loved to tell the story about Artie's Playground, because he knew that Horatio would look like a tomato then, but since Kyle was there, he refrained from doing so. Sure, the boy wasn't a kid anymore, but he was quite sure that Horatio wouldn't like it; not to forget the ladies…they'd probably have his head and other important body parts.

"Tell me Stella, does Mac have an open workplace in his lab?" Horatio asked.

"Why? For Frank or Eric?" she asked confused.

"No, for me of course. Can't you see that my own team doesn't take me serious?" he asked in his best whiny-puppy-dog-tone, which could melt every woman's heart.

"Aww," Stella cooed and stroked his cheek. "You really have a hard life here, don't you?" she asked sympathetically.

"Yes," Horatio nodded and definitely enjoyed the touch and the warmth coming from it.

"Hmm, then...," Stella thought out loud and furrowed her brows deep in concentration. "Oh I think there's an open job," she suddenly smiled then.

"Really?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded enthusiastically and patted his cheek. "Just days ago Mac complained about all the paperwork; I can tell him that you'd be happy to take care of that."

"Indeed," Horatio grumbled and ignored the laughter around him.

"This was way too easy, I'm sorry," she said, but sounded hardly apologetic. Instead she winked at him and pressed a kiss on the area where her hands had been just seconds before. "Forgive me?"

Ignoring the stares and silent gasps of his friends this time, Horatio did his very best to keep his pale color. "Maybe," he said and tilted his head a bit to the side, "when I'm older."

Getting the hint, Stella just smiled to herself and settled back into her chair. She had leaned towards him much more than she'd realized. "That makes me happy."

Looking around and seeing the bemused and curious stares of his friends, Eric folded his arms in front of his chest and put on his best evil smirk. "Soooo," he started, "we've heard about Gil Grissom, insects and bombs...what else happened in Boston?" He was a CSI and he knew for sure that no one, except of Alexx maybe, kissed Horatio on the cheek like that. And no woman flirted with him like this; oh well they did try, but Horatio always managed a polite but declining reply. But this? This was different.

Horatio had complained about teasing the boss before? He hadn't seen anything yet.

Now the real party had started.

"H in a children clothing store?" Eric couldn't believe his ears; and looking at Frank, the man couldn't either. "What did you buy? A small suit?"

"Lucy's a girl, Eric. Even you should know that she wouldn't wear a suit but a dress," Horatio pointed out and rolled his eyes. Why had he told them about his shopping tour with Stella? Oh yes, so they wouldn't press any further and find out about other more…personal…things that had happened between him and her.

"That's really cute," Alexx was head over heels and Calleigh was with her over the rainbow.

"And he actually picked out something as well," Stella went on, totally oblivious of the fact that she didn't make it easier for Horatio. But even if she had realized it, she wouldn't have cared, because this was nothing to be ashamed of.

"Oh really?" Eric drawled and gasped for air when Calleigh rammed her elbow into his side.

"What did he find?" Alexx asked without giving Eric a second glance.

"Oh he found a little nightgown…in pink."

Frank did his best to stifle a laugh, but didn't succeed. "Pink, what else, huh?"

"As if you've never bought something for your three _daughters_, Frank," Alexx shot him a motherly-warning glare. When Frank snapped his mouth shot, she nodded at him. "I thought so."

"_Well at least I have the girls on my side,"_ Horatio thought to himself. This was always very important, especially if one didn't want to end up like Delko, who was still gasping for air. _"Serves you right Eric, you should know that Calleigh's a small bomb package. And being her boyfriend doesn't safe you from such reactions."_

As much as it was entertaining to see the other boys squirm, Kyle had heard enough about babies and dresses and pinks. He was a young man after all and all those particular subjects were not important or interesting for him at all. Not being able to stifle a slight yawn, he had a look at his watch and realized with a start that it was almost midnight. _"Oh crap!"_ If this conversation would go on, they'd forget about his dad's birthday completely. Now he just needed to find a way to get them all back on track. Now this was going to be "easy".

It was a good thing then that Frank had noticed the yawn and couldn't help but tease his friend's offspring. "So tired already? And here I thought today's youth could party all night."

Feeling several pairs of eyes on him, Kyle did his best not to squirm in his seat. "Uh..well…it's late…," he mumbled and as on cue, everyone looked at their watches. This in turn, resulted into rushed mumblings and three women getting up from the table at once.

"We'll be back in a moment," they announced and Kyle, knowing that there wouldn't be a better opportunity, got up as well and followed them inside.

Tilting his head, Horatio watched them flee and furrowed his brows. "Now that was subtle," he commented lightly and looked at his remaining guests. "Should I be worried?"

Sharing a look, Frank and Eric just shrugged and gave him their best innocent looks. "We promised to take this secret to our graves," Frank answered cryptically and Eric upped the ante. "You know Calleigh can be quite intimidating with a gun in her hands."

"I see," Horatio nodded and then added with a smile, "Cowards."

The grins he got in response told him more than he needed to know.

Inside the house, the three ladies and one young man had gathered in the kitchen and were busy decorating a cake with small candles. Well the women were, while Kyle hoped to steal some of the icing.

"Stop that," Alexx chided him softly and rapped him over the knuckles. "You'll get a piece of it soon enough."

"Sorry," Kyle replied sheepishly and gave her his puppy dog impression, something he had definitely inherited from his father. "I just _love_ cakes."

"A sweet tooth, mhm?" Stella asked and smiled at the boy. "Your father is the same, but don't tell him that I told you about his secret."

"I promise," Kyle grinned and rubbed his hands. "So what did you get him?"

"Ever heard of curiosity killing the cat?" Calleigh asked amused and took the team's presents into her hands.

"Yep, but I'm not a cat and my dad is a CSI; no one would ever dare to kill me," Kyle replied confidently and reached for his own present.

"Well then Honey, lead the way before your dad has a case in his own home," Alexx chuckled and motioned the others to follow Kyle's lead.

_**Tbc**___

_**Any ideas for Horatio's presents?**_


	8. Chapter 6 part 2

**A/N: And here is the other part of the chapter. Sorry for the small delay, but I was pretty sick over the weekend and not able to come to the computer. Hope you'll still enjoy the chapter though. Let me know what you think^^**

**Chapter 6.2**

It was probably pure coincidence, but exactly when they entered the garden again, the bell of the church clock could be heard. Seeing the group approach, Eric shot a quick glance at Frank and after receiving a subtle nod from the man, he started singing. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUU..." It was his version of singing anyway, while others might have compared it to a howling dog. But in the end, it was the thought that counted and the hope that no one would go deaf.

That's why Horatio endured the "singing" with as much calm as he could muster and shook his head when the song finally ended. "You should have become a singer, Eric," he chuckled lowly and got up from his chair.

"Don't give him any ideas, Honey," Alexx said quickly and put down the cake before she hugged the oldest of "her" children. "Happy Birthday, Horatio. May your birthday bring you as much happiness as you give to everyone who knows you," she told him lovingly and pinched his cheek.

"Thank you Alexx," Horatio replied visibly touched by her words and gave her a shy smile.

"I couldn't put it any better even if I tried," Calleigh was the next in line and gave him a small hug. "Happy Birthday, H."

"Thank you Cal," he smiled and shook his head when she gave him the presents. "Oh no, you shouldn't have..," he said in mock annoyance and quickly turned to the boys. "And don't you say that you told the girls all along that they shouldn't get me some presents," he chided them and laughed when the two just put up there hands in surrender.

"We'd never do that, H," the two laughed and congratulated him as well.

The next in the line was Stella, who gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I can just repeat what the others have already said, happy Birthday Horatio and thank you for letting me celebrate this special day with you."

"No Stella, thank _you_ for being here," he shook his head and gently placed her present next to the others.

"So last but not least, it's my turn," Kyle grinned. "I'm not good at such things, so...happy Birthday Dad," he said and gave his father a big hug.

"Thank you, Son," Horatio smiled and hugged him back. It was still hard to imagine that they'd lost so many birthdays together in the past, but Horatio tried not to dwell on it. The past was gone and it shouldn't cloud the future.

"So now, blow out the candles and make a wish," Eric sat down again. "And then you're going to tell us what your wish was about," he added impishly.

"Ha, no way!" Horatio laughed and closed his eyes before he blew out the candles. "If I tell you, the wish won't come true."

"That's a known fact," Calleigh nodded and leaned against the Cuban, who had wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"So first some cake or the presents?" Horatio asked them and reached for a knife.

"The presents of course," the other men called in unison.

"Kids," Alexx rolled her eyes at them. "Please Horatio, open the presents first or they'll keep on and on."

Chuckling, Horatio nodded. "My pleasure. So let's start with this one here…," he began and reached for the one Calleigh had given him.

Five minutes and a lot of paper later, he was holding a box of cigars and an old cognac in his hands. "Oh you know me too well," he shook his head. "Thank you all, I love it."

"Well we certainly know about your little weakness when it comes to good cigars and drinks," Frank grinned.

"And just you know, we expect you to share them with us," Eric added and dismissed Calleigh's "Eric!" easily. "H knows what I mean."

"Yes he does. He'll keep it to himself alone," Horatio joked and reached for the next package. "Now let's see what we have here," he said to himself and looked at Stella.

"You have to open it to find out," she hid her grin. She hadn't had that much time to find him a presents and the fact that she didn't know his hobbies that well hadn't made it any easier; but she hoped that he would enjoy this gift.

Giving her a lopsided grin, he did as he was told and moments after he was holding a book in his hand. _"Edmond Locard : „L' Enquête criminelle et les mèthodes scientifiques (forensic investigation and its scientific methods) _" he read out loud and couldn't help but be a bit perplexed. He'd been searching for this book for some time but never had the time to buy it. And now, Stella had beaten him to that. "Thank you Stella, I always wanted to get this book, but never had the time and…wow…thanks."

"So I take it you like it?" she asked and was really relieved that her idea had been a good one.

"Most definitely. I can already see myself sitting in the living room, reading it and enjoying a good cigar and a small glass of cognac," Horatio replied easily.

"Well that's what I call a good day," Frank agreed.

"Absolutely. So...what do we have here?" Horatio reached for the last present. "Hmm…" he murmured and tried to find out just by the weight and size what it might be, but he had no idea. Looking at his son, he realized that the boy was quite nervous and this in return made Horatio feel nervous as well. It was his first real birthday present from his son and he had no idea what to expect. Not that he expected anything from his son, the fact that the boy was in his life now was more than good enough for him.

"Open it, Dad," the boy almost whispered when he noticed that his father was looking at him. The moment of truth had come and there was no return.

With a deep breath, Horatio started to peel off the paper and furrowed his brows in wonder when the last layer of paper had disappeared. If he didn't know it any better, it looked like some kind photo album. Looking in Kyle's direction again, the boy just gestured him to open it and that's what Horatio did.

The next thing the others heard was a loud gasp coming from Horatio's direction.

"That's…that's you.." It was half a question, half a statement. "Isn't it?"

"Yes, Dad..," Kyle nodded and gave him a shy smile. "That's me…though many, many years ago."

"I can't believe it," Horatio mumbled to himself, his eyes locked onto the picture in front of him. How many nights had he wished for that? How many unfulfilling dreams had haunted him every night? And now… "How…how did you get it?" he asked.

"Well," the boy started slowly and got up from his chair. "It wasn't easy." With a few steps he was standing behind his father's chair. "But I had some help from a certain group of people," he smiled gently and rested his hands on his father's shoulders.

The addressed 'group of people' was certainly enjoying the scene in front of them. None had ever seen Horatio this speechless and that alone was worth all the effort they'd had in the last weeks. When Kyle had approached them one week with his plan of a very special birthday gift for his father, no one had expected it to be that difficult, but bureaucracy had, once again, disabused them. In the end, they had succeeded, also thanks to Alexx' help and now they knew that it had been for the best.

Seeing the others faces, Stella knew exactly who Kyle was talking about and being curious herself now, she leaned towards Horatio. "Is this the famous first picture made in the hospital?" she asked when she saw the tiny bundle lying on a baby-scale.

"Yes, I think so," Kyle nodded at Stella and squeezed Horatio's shoulder. "You can turn the page over, you know Dad?" he joked lightly.

"Of course," Horatio nodded quickly and did just that.

"There're big age gaps between the pictures sometimes," Kyle explained, when he saw a few months old version of himself.

"You had reddish hair!" Horatio exclaimed in shock and delight.

"That was my first reaction as well when I saw the picture," the boy chuckled.

"And not only his," Eric chimed in, which made the others laugh.

Shaking his head in utter disbelief, Horatio turned over a few more pages and grinned when his eyes fell on a self-painted picture. "Where did you get all those pictures?" he looked up. "I thought you lost most of them?" The only few self-painted pictures he had ever seen, had been the ones Yelina had given to him after he had asked her to investigate the boy.

"I did. But it's definitely an advantage to have a group of CSI's and a sergeant behind your back, which can help you with foster care and the one or other foster family. Not to forget a resolute doctor who harasses hospital staffs like no other," he laughed.

"I bet," Horatio smiled to himself.

"So I hope you like this present?" Kyle asked somewhat hopefully and wrapped his arms around Horatio's neck.

"This is the second best present I ever got, right after finding you," Horatio replied honestly and took a deep breath. "Thank you Kyle, you have no idea how much this means to me," he whispered and ran a hand over Kyle's arms. "I mean it…thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Dad," the boy averted his eyes. He had hoped that his dad would enjoy this gift, but this reaction was in fact overwhelming.

"And thank you to you as well," Horatio shot a grateful glance at his team.

"It's the least we could do, Horatio," Calleigh smiled. This man had done so much for them over the last 10 years, so there hadn't been a moment of doubt when Kyle had approached them.

"I think we should drink to that," Frank raised his glass. When the others followed his example, he cleared his throat dramatically and grinned at the group. "To bureaucracy, slow clerks and one particular hospital employee who probably still has nightmares of a group of people who had stormed her office."

"Listen to this!" the others laughed and took a sip of their drinks.

"How many hospitals and children's homes banned you from their houses?" Horatio asked, but he wasn't sure if this was such a good idea. So when Frank opened his mouth, he quickly added, "No wait, don't tell me."

"Well I can't tell you anyway, H. Mr. Wolfe made this particular list, but I can tell you that it wasn't a short one," Frank joked and laughed when Horatio just groaned.

"Don't forget to give me your pita and tzaziki receipt," Alexx told Stella and hugged her goodbye.

"I won't; I'll write it down and Horatio can spread it around," she laughed. "Calleigh asked me too."

"Oh he _will_ spread it around," Alexx replied and gave her eldest a stern glare.

"Hey, since when do I have 'messenger' written on my forehead?" Horatio teased and quickly took a step back to avoid Alexx' nudge.

"Don't get cheeky," she rebuked him. "And now give me a hug."

"Of course, ma'am," he grinned and did as he was told. "Thanks for being here; too bad Henry couldn't be here tonight."

"Yes, but someone had to look out for the kids," Alexx smiled at the thought of her husband. "Not to forget he ails a bit, so it was better this way." Looking at her watch, she shook her head. "And now I really need to get home, it's past two already. He'll think I painted the town red."

"I'll vouch for you in case he asks me," Horatio replied easily and waited at the door until Alexx got into her car.

"You really have a precious group of people around you," Stella said when he closed the door behind him.

"Oh yes, there's no doubt about that," Horatio grinned and rested his hand on the small of her back when they walked back to the living room again.

Stella threw him a curious glance at that, but he looked deep in thought, so she didn't say anything. Not that there was any need to say something; she enjoyed the feeling too much for that.

"And now look who we have here," Horatio said lowly and pointed towards the couch.

Smiling, Stella followed his gaze and lifted her hand in front of her mouth when she had to laugh. "And here I thought today's youth was tough."

"I thought so too," Horatio grinned and walked over to his son who was dozing on the couch. "Kyle," he shook the boy's shoulder. "Wake up, everyone's gone."

"Wha…what?" the boy woke up with a start and looked at two amused faces.

"I said everyone's gone and I think it's time for you to go to bed as well," Horatio repeated.

"Oh..I…just sat down for a minute and then…," the boy mumbled clearly embarrassed

"It's fine; it's already late. Why don't you get upstairs and get ready for bed?" Horatio smiled.

"Huh? But Dad, I have my own apartment," Kyle quickly replied and got up from the couch.

"Kyle, you're dead tired; do you really think that I let you drive in this state?"

"I'm not that ti-," the boy started to protest, but a huge yawn interrupted him.

"Yeah, you could have fooled me, Son. Now stop arguing with me."

"Well then I sleep here on the couch," the boy gave in, because if he was honest to himself, he knew he shouldn't be driving.

"Why should you do that?" Horatio asked confused.

"Oh well because..," Kyle looked into Stella's direction.

"Because I'm dwelling in the only guestroom right now?" Stella put Horatio in the right way. "So actually I should sleep on the couch, because it's Kyle's room."

"Oh no, you're Dad's guest, there's no way that you sleep on the couch," Kyle dismissed her proposal easily.

"But it's your room," Stella protested back.

"But-"

"Time out! Stop being stubborn, both of you. It's my house, my guestroom, my couch and most of all I'm the birthday boy, so you'll do as I say," he said sternly, but the twinkle in his eyes, told them that he was rather amused than angry. "You," he pointed at Stella, "are not going to sleep on the couch. You'll sleep in the guest room. And you," he then pointed at his son, "won't sleep on the couch as well, because you'll sleep in my room."

"So you'll sleep here on the couch?"

"I didn't say that Kyle."

"But if you don't sleep on the couch then..," it was easy to see the wheels turning inside his head. "Oh no way, Dad," the boy exclaimed when he realized Horatio's plan.

"Oh stop whining Kyle," the older man rolled his eyes and pointed towards the stairs. "Get upstairs and get ready for bed."

"Great and I won't be able to sleep because you snore," the boy grumbled and slowly stumbled towards the stairs.

Stella should have known better but without thinking she replied, "Only a bit." When both men looked at her, she knew she'd said too much. "Uh…I guess…?"

Kyle just grinned at the mortified looking pair. "I see." Now this was surely interesting. "I'll see you upstairs Dad," he waved suddenly jovial and left the room.

"Ooops," Stella said sheepishly and looked at Horatio, who was still fighting to get his pale colour back. "Probably a bit too much information, huh?"

"Probably, but it's alright," Horatio just shrugged. No need to cry over spilled milk. "It's not like it's not allowed what we have done," he smiled at her reassuringly. "And he's old enough for such topics anyway, though I suspect that there'll be an investigation waiting for me upstairs."

"Well if he comes after his father you should already think about some answers," Stella giggled. "Sorry for putting you into that situation."

"I'm not; it was a nice night and I guess I can still call myself lucky that you didn't kick me out of the bed, even though I snored," he teased her lightly

"Mhm, very lucky indeed," Stella flirted back and followed him upstairs. "But I'm not sure if your boy is as lenient as I am," she said once they reached her room.

"Well, be sure that I know where to find another cozy bedside," he arched his brows.

"Horatio!" she slapped his shoulder in mock shock. "You had too much alcohol tonight." When he just chuckled, she lowered her voice, and took a step towards him. "Knock three times so I know it's you, or I'll greet you with a gun."

"Dangerous…I like that," he murmured back and kissed her cheek. "Three times?" he asked and started to play with a lose flick of her hair.

"Three times," she nodded and winked at him.

"I'll remember that," he sighed and let go of her. Maybe she was right and he'd had drunk too much tonight; and before he could do something stupid (and he was definitely tempted in doing so) he gave her one last peck and slowly walked to his bedroom. "Good night, Stella."

"Good night, Horatio," she waved at him and then quickly entered her room before either of them would change their minds. Maybe Horatio wasn't the only one who had drunk too much tonight.

Inside his bedroom, Horatio was greeted by his son who'd already made himself home in the bed. "Better than the couch, now isn't it?" he asked and vanished into the bathroom.

"Uh-huh, you bet Dad," the boy grinned and just waited until his father was back again. "Sooooo you only snore a bit, huh?" he couldn't help but ask when Horatio slid under the covers. He didn't know if the groan he got in return was because of his father's hurting old bones, or because he was embarrassed by the subject; no matter the case, Kyle didn't care much. "Yes?"

"That's actually none of your business, Junior," Horatio replied and switched off the lights in vain hope that Kyle would fall asleep immediately.

"Oh come on Dad…there's no way that I won't ask about _this_."

"Ever heard of curiosity kills the cat?" Horatio replied and made himself comfortable.

"Actually yes," the boy replied nonchalantly.

"And what does this tell you?"

"That I always stumble over highly interesting secrets?" the boy shot back.

"Mhm, apparently so," Horatio mumbled and did his very best to fall asleep as soon as possible.

"Come on Dad, what's going between you...and Stella?" He knew that he was in no position to ask his Dad something this intimate, but he couldn't stop himself.

"We're just friends, Kyle."

He didn't doubt that they were friends, but he just _knew_ that there was more. "And that's why she knows that you snore?"

"If you really need to know," the older man grunted and turned around to face his son, "we did sleep in one bed back in Boston, but that's it, okay?"

Noticing the slight edge in his father's voice, Kyle quickly back-pedalled. "I'm sorry Dad; you're right, it's none of my business. I just thought.."

"It's okay, Kyle," Horatio interrupted him, softer this time. "Stella and I…we're friends." _"Friends who almost did something more than just sleeping in one bed together," _he added silently. _"But that's just between the two of us."_ "And sometimes it's easier to fall asleep when another is around and this happened back in Boston. Do you understand what I mean?"

Stunned by Horatio's openness, the boy needed a moment to reply. "I..I think so Dad."

"Good. And now it's time for us to close our eyes and get at least some sleep before sunrise, don't you agree?"

"There's actually a law against going to bed before sunrise on the weekend, Dad," the boy joked and accepted the subject change easily.

"Says the one who's fallen asleep on the couch," Horatio replied amused. "Good night, Kyle."

"This will follow me forever," the boy grunted in pretence. "Good night, Dad."

"You can bet on that, Son," was the last thing spoken in the room and soon after two different kinds of snoring could be heard.

_**tbc**_


	9. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews. I'm happy that you enjoyed the last chapter and the gifts that were presented to Horatio. ****So let's have a look at the "morning after".**

**Chapter 7**

Horatio had no idea what time it was, but something or someone was determined to wake him up. He just wasn't sure what it was. Mumbling he tried to roll onto his left side, but was hindered by a heavy weight on his chest.

Interesting.

Come to think of it, it was definitely colder than it normally was in his bedroom, or at least it felt like it.

Really interesting.

Slowly he opened his eyes and tried to find out what exactly this heavy weight was. After a moment or two his eyes finally started to focus and the first thing he noticed was the sun shining. So it was definitely pass sunrise and judging on the intensity, it probably had been some hours ago. It surely was a good thing that he had the day off.

Now he just needed to find out what was hindering him to get up and what this chirping tone was that had woken him up in the first place. Looking down, the first was easily answered – his son. Sometime during the night, the boy must have fought with himself and the blanket, because now he was lying across the bed, with his head and arm resting on Horatio, while the blanket was shoved somewhere far away. No wonder that Horatio was freezing.

"I hope any girlfriend of yours is taught in escapology," Horatio whispered to the sleeping boy. "With that death grip of yours." Shaking his head, he couldn't help but be amused. And they were talking about him snoring. Ha! _"At least I'm not using my bed partners as a pillow and let them freeze to death."_ But then again, this truly was a sight to behold. Kyle looked so young while sleeping and Horatio couldn't stop himself from running a hand through the unruly hair. The thought that Kyle trusted him so much was overwhelming actually; he knew only too well that his son had trust issues and his time in prison had surely not lessened them at all. And now the young man was lying here, using his father as a pillow and slept like a stone. Kyle truly was a blessing.

Another chirping brought him out of his musing and since he was pretty sure that he hadn't set the alarm clock, it had to be his cell. With a groan, he freed himself from his son as gently as he could and sat up. Blindly he reached for his cell and did his best to read the display but failed miserably.

Maybe Alexx was right when she told him about seeing the eye doctor.

Anyway, now wasn't the time to think about how old he was, someone was trying to speak to him and since he didn't know who it was, he had no idea if it was important either.

"Horatio?" he picked up the phone at last and got up from the bed. There was no need to wake up the boy.

"_Happy Birthday, Horatio,"_ a cheerful sounding Mac greeted him on the other line. _"My, you certainly take your time till you pick up the phone."_

"Thank you, Mac," Horatio chuckled and slipped into his blue bathrobe. "You know what they say about old people, they need some time to reach the phone."

Mac just laughed. _"As I know you, you sleep with your cell on the nightstand, so no long way at all."_

"Ever the CSI, my friend," Horatio replied easily and threw the blanket back over his son, before he left his room.

"_Of course, so this means I woke you up, huh? Had a good night?"_ Mac asked cheekily.

"Most definitely," Horatio replied without giving too much information, which he knew would drive Mac insane.

"_Come on, Horatio...a few more information please,"_ was the quick reply, which made Horatio chuckle.

"We celebrated into my birthday," he said, "and I think it was past two when we finally went to bed, so I was inclined to sleep a bit longer today."

"_Perks of being the birthday boy."_

"And the ones who slept under my roof this night. Though I don't know if Stella is still asleep, I just know that my son definitely is."

"_Knowing Stella, she's probably awake already,"_ Mac thought out loud.

"Maybe but it's still quiet in the house," Horatio said and stopped in front of the window of his living room, letting himself warmed up but the sunlight that was streaming into the room.

"_That doesn't have to mean anything,"_ Mac laughed, but grew a bit more serious then. _"So how are you two getting along anyway?"_

"Me and Stella? Why are you asking?"

"_Just being curious."_

"Interesting, since you were the one who pushed her into my guest-friendly arms after all," Horatio snorted.

"_Me?"_ Mac asked scandalized.

"Innocence doesn't suit you, Mac," Horatio chided his friend. "And so doesn't playing matchmaker."

"_I'm no matchmaker, Horatio. I just thought that Stella needed some time off and since you two get along so well, I thought that Miami would be a good idea. What you two are making out of it…,"_ he trailed off.

"I see," Horatio arched his brows and knew exactly what Mac was hinting at.

"_But be assured that I'll have your head if you hurt her in any way,"_ Mac threatened.

"And now you sound like a mother hen, Mac," Horatio teased.

"_More like a concerned big brother, who's not afraid to hurt the man who hurts his sister."_

"I'll remember that, Mac" Horatio chuckled and jumped slightly when two arms were wrapped around his torso.

"Is Mac checking up on you?" Stella asked loud enough so Mac could hear her.

"Yep, your big brother is giving me some speech about treating you right," Horatio couldn't help but reply.

"My big brother?" Stella asked confused and a moment later she had the cell in her hand.

"Ask him, not me..," Horatio just shrugged and was looking forward to an interesting conversation between brother and sister. Too bad that he wasn't able to see Mac's face.

"Good morning Mac, now what was that about being my big brother….?"

"I've never seen Mac so agitated, "Stella laughed, after she'd ended the call. "Now this was fun."

"Teaches him right to intervene into your life again," Horatio nodded and was quite pleased that Mac had been put in his place. Though he highly doubted that Mac had told her what _exactly_ this big brother speech had been about.

"Yep and now I need some breakfast," she rubbed her hands together. "Putting him in place always makes me hungry."

"And still you're able to keep this physique," Horatio laughed and let his eyes roam over her attire. Apparently, Mac had been right with stating that Stella might be up already, because in contrast to him, she was wearing real clothes and seemed freshly showered.

"I'll take that as a compliment and run with it."

"Good, because it was meant as one," he smiled at her and together they made their way to the kitchen.

Stella in turn just flashed him a smile of her own. "So I take it that Kyle is still asleep?"

"It seems like it, but who knows how long it will take him to wake up after his dad-pillow has left the bed," Horatio chuckled and winked at Stella when a half-asleep figure stumbled down the stairs. "Speaking of the devil," he whispered conspiratorially.

"Don't be mean," Stella whispered back and then greeted the boy cheerfully. "Good morning, Kyle."

"Morning," the boy mumbled in return and rubbed his eyes. It seemed like his hair was living on its own and was standing out in different directions and the rest of his attire didn't seem any better. His t-shirt was crumpled and the boxers didn't upgrade his image in particular.

"Morning, Son," Horatio smirked and motioned him to follow them into the kitchen. "You woke up at the best moment, it's time for breakfast."

"Oh great, I'm starving," Kyle sighed and rubbed his stomach.

"When are you not?" Horatio arched a brow.

"Well he's a young man and needs all the nourishment he can get, right Kyle?" Stella chimed in and started to rummage in the cupboards.

"Yeah, listen to Stella, Dad. She understands my needs," Kyle replied and ignored his dad's snort.

"And that's why I decided that I'll make breakfast this morning. I just happen to know the perfect way to start into the day."

"You do?" Horatio asked curiously and nudged his boy into his side for the earlier comment.

"Uh-huh, it's called Loukoumádes," Stella nodded and smiled when she saw two blank faces. "It's Greek."

"You just blew my mind," Kyle couldn't help but say, but sent an apologetic smile afterwards.

"Kyle..," Horatio said warningly, but Stella just waved him off.

"I know that you wanted to say the same, Horatio," Stella put him off and then started to shoo them out of the room. "Why don't you two get showered and..," she made a pointing glance at their attire, "get dressed?"

Realizing that he was only in his underwear, Kyle's face turned into a tomato. "Uh...this sounds like a good idea."

"Are you sure that you don't need any help?" Horatio asked anyway though he already knew the answer.

"Nope, it'll be easier without you two."

"How kind of you," came the sarcastic reply. "I think it's time for us to leave Kyle, or she'll throw us out."

"This sounds about right, Dad," the boy agreed when Stella walked up to them. "But...uh...just one other thing," he started and averted his eyes sheepishly. "Is it okay for me to go into your room, Stella? I have my things there and…"

This young man was utterly adorable when he was embarrassed; just like his father. "Of course it's okay for me, just get what you need Kyle," she reassured him. "And now, get out."

"As you command, mistress," Horatio bowed playfully and grabbed his son by the arm and pulled him away. "Go get your things and be quick, I'm not sure if we'll get anything to eat if we take too long," he told him loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I heard that. Another such remark and your fears might come true," Stella called and laughed when she heard Horatio's rushed "Hurry!". Sometimes men needed to be reminded who was calling the shots.

About twenty minutes later, two freshly showered and fully dressed Caine men entered the kitchen and took a deep breath.

"This smells delicious, Stella. What is this again?" Horatio asked and watched Stella rotating back and forth easily.

"Loukoumádes," came the helpful reply.

Shooting an amused glance at his father, Kyle just shrugged and walked to the fridge to get some OJ.

"Erm..yes," Horatio nodded, because now he knew as much (or rather little) as before. "And…what exactly is this…ah..Loukumu.."

"Loukoumádes," Stella helped him out when he stumbled over the word. "It's a pasty baked in oil," she continued and reached for a plate full of those like crullers looking things.

"Hmm, so something like a doughnut?" Horatio asked curiously and sat down at the table.

"In a way…but much sweeter," Stella nodded and smiled at the two.

"Much sweeter?" Horatio asked and eyed the pasty.

"Well Dad, it's your birthday, so the honour is all yours to have the first try." It wasn't as if those things didn't look tasty; on the contrary, they definitely did, but Kyle was always a bit careful when it came to new things. Many things in prison had looked fine, but in the end they had tasted like…not so nice things.

"Thank you, son of my heart," Horatio sighed deeply and willed himself not to roll his eyes.

"Oh please don't tell me that you're afraid of my cooking?" Stella asked in mock shock and glared at them, when both gave her their best innocent Caine smiles. "This doesn't work with me boys," she chided them.

"Please forgive us our caution," Horatio said and bit into one of the crullers. Knowing that two pairs of eyes were directed on him, he chewed extra slowly and closed his eyes.

After some moments, Kyle lost his patience. "So?"

"Hmm, how can I say that?" Horatio mused and opened his eyes again. "I think…I think…"

"Yes?" both Stella and Kyle asked.

"Let me finish."

"Dad that could take like forever."

"Thanks. Now where was I?"

"You wanted to compliment me on my cooking style," Stella helped him out cheekily.

"Ah yes," Horatio nodded and pursed his lips. "I think this is really, really…," he started seriously, but then couldn't hide his smile any longer, "…good. I mean it, I like it a lot, Stella."

She didn't show it visibly, but she was relieved. She knew that such things weren't for everyone and she also knew that the Greek kitchen tended to be rather sweet when it came to pasty, so she really appreciated his honest answer. "Thank you."

Encouraged by his dad's reaction, Kyle reached for one as well. "Let's see," he said and bit into it. It was indeed sweet, but it was a good thing that he had a sweet tooth anyway. "Now that's neat."

"I think that's his way of saying that he likes it," Horatio winked at Stella.

"I thought so too, thank you Kyle," she smiled at the boy, who didn't let himself be disturbed by the others. Being happy that the boys liked her cooking, Stella started to eat as well, because both men seemed to have quite a hunger and she wanted to have one Loukoumádes for herself at least.

After a while, Horatio refilled Stella's and his own cup and looked at his son, who was still happily chewing on his breakfast. "So do you have any plans for today?" he asked curiously. It wasn't that he wanted to check on Kyle and control him, but he enjoyed talking about such normal things with his son.

"Oh," the boy swallowed quickly and took a sip of OJ afterwards, "me and boys will play some basketball later. And then they planned on going to the movies with some of the girls."

"Some of the girls, huh?" Horatio asked intrigued and raised his brows. Now it was time for revenge for last night's interrogation. "What kind of girls?"

"Just girls, Dad," the boy sighed slightly bugged. He should have known better than to share this piece of information.

"Do you know them?" Horatio couldn't help but ask; sometimes it was hard to stop the CSI in him, but then again, he mused, every parent would be curious about their children's friends.

"Yes, Dad. I know them, we had some classes together back in school," Kyle rolled his eyes. "Do you want their names and fingerprints, so you can run them through AFIS?"

Ignoring the sarcasm, Horatio just shook his head. "No, I don't think so; maybe I'll get to know one of them sooner or later," he teased his son.

"Well, yeah…maybe...some day," the boy mumbled and hid behind his glass.

Taking pity on the boy, Horatio smiled at Stella. "And what are your plans for today, Ma'am?"

"Oh I don't know, it's your birthday, so you should decide on that," she just shrugged.

"Well I already decided on one thing, but that's for later," he replied easily.

"Oh really? And what did you plan?" she drawled.

"I think I remember promising you some self made pasta and-"

"Oh no, Horatio. It's your birthday and you shouldn't slave in the kitchen today," she quickly interrupted him.

He had expected this reaction, but it didn't alter his plan in any way. "Well as you already mentioned, it _is_ my birthday today and this is my wish. So you better let me fulfil it."

"He got you there, Stella," Kyle commented lightly, because, like everyone else at the table, he knew that Horatio could be quite stubborn if he wanted to be.

"Hmph," Stella pulled a face because she knew she'd lost the battle. But there was still a war to win. "Okay, if this is your wish then," she shrugged, "I thought about strolling around the Ocean Drive."

"Uhhhh, the Ocean Drive on a Saturday," Kyle smirked. "Now that's only for tough guys."

"I think so as well, Son," Horatio agreed wholeheartedly. "That's quite harsh, Stella."

Had she really won the war against the great Horatio Caine? Stella couldn't believe it. "Too tough for you, my dear?" she challenged him.

She could bet on that. The Ocean Drive was always crowded, but it was worse on the weekend. Still he couldn't leave her the victory that easily. "Well I'm just thinking about you and I don't think that you'd enjoy boxing yourself through hundreds of people…"

"Ha, you've never seen me on winter sale in New York," she stopped him with a wave of her hand, which made Kyle laugh out loud.

"Oh she's good, Dad. I think you'll have to admit defeat this time." He hadn't had that much fun for quite some time. His father probably didn't realise it, but he and Stella were acting like a bantering couple. _"Friends…for sure,"_ he snorted to himself.

"I'd wave a white flag if I had one," Horatio did his best to keep his dignity. "So are you really that mean and want me to accompany you _there_? Today of all days?"

"Not if you promise me that we'll go there another day, before I fly back on Wednesday," she gave in because she wasn't heartless. Though playing with him was pretty funny.

"How gracious of you, Miss Bonasera. So what about visiting Little Havana? I think you might enjoy that."

"Oh I've heard a lot about that," she said enthusiastically.

"It's definitely worth a visit or two," Kyle stated.

"So it's settled then?"

"Yep, I'd like that," Stella nodded. "Why don't you two clear the table and I'll get ready?" she said and without waiting for a real reply, she was out of the room.

"Lesson #101 in avoiding unpleasant shopping tours, my son – just make the girls believe that they won the war and their good heartiness won't permit that their men will suffer," Horatio told his son, after he'd made sure that Stella was out of earshot.

"Mhm..sure, Dad," Kyle got up and sounded rather unconvinced. "Admit it to yourself," he patted his father's shoulder, "this woman has wrapped you around her little finger and you like it." He was still young and had to learn about women, but he surely wasn't blind.

_**tbc**_


	10. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews. Here is the next part for you with the one or other surprise in store. **

**Chapter 8**

His eyes were closed in delight, while his fingers were sliding over the ivories. He knew this piece by heart; every pause, every chord. They could wake him up in the middle of the night and he could tell them exactly where the difficulty was and where the easiness.

Next to the music stand was a glass of wine waiting for him; between his fingers a cigar was slowly burning down. If he hadn't been in his living room, sitting in front of a black, polished grand piano, he would have fitted right into some night club like this. But Horatio didn't care; he was enjoying himself too much at this very moment.

After their dinner, Stella had insisted on cleaning the kitchen and had shooed him out of the room. At first Horatio had thought about putting on some music, but when his eyes had fallen on his 'baby' he'd decided to make some music on his own. He didn't do that very often, mostly due to the lack of time, but tonight he'd all the time in the world and he hoped that Stella might appreciate it.

And so he was still playing, oblivious of the fact, that Stella had finished her task and was now leaning against the door frame and watching him in awe.

She'd always wondered if Horatio actually could play the piano when she'd seen the instrument on her first day, but never had dared to ask him. Why, she didn't know, but it didn't matter any longer. She wasn't well versed into classical music at all, but for her it sounded really good.

Horatio certainly was a man of many talents. The pasta had been overly delicious (something she'd told him more than once during their meal) and she'd thoroughly enjoyed every bite of it. And he was also playing the piano…this man was extraordinary for sure. And she really couldn't understand why women weren't all over him. He truly was one of a kind and she felt privileged to see this private side of him. She could only imagine that only few people were allowed to do that.

With a smile she slowly walked towards him and when she stopped next to the small piano stool she sipped from her wine and rested a hand on his shoulder.

Slowly, Horatio acknowledged her presence by opening his eyes. "Hey," he smiled at her and took a drag of his cigar. "Sit with me?" he asked.

"I'd love to," she nodded and slid down on the stool next to him. "So smoking and playing the piano the same time? Isn't there some rule against it?" she asked amused, which made Horatio laugh.

"It's probably a capital sin in society, but I'm at home," he smiled and took another drag, while he continued playing one handed. "And for me, a good glass of wine, a good cigar and playing some music just belongs together."

"Hmm, you definitely need to have some talent to play such a piece one handed, right?" she asked and Horatio just shrugged.

"I don't mind making a mistake when I'm playing for myself," he said easily and handed her the cigar, "but since I'm not alone tonight, I can't allow me any mistakes, now can I?"

"It's not as if I would realise them anyway," Stella giggled and eyed the cigar in her hand. "What are you playing?"

"Chopin, Nocturne op posthum," he said and still looked at her, "do you like classical music?" he asked intrigued.

"I can't say that I have much knowledge about this genre," she admitted.

"Ah," he nodded and then stopped playing. "Well maybe you know this one here," he said after a small drink and started playing again.

After listening to it for a few moments, Stella nodded. "Isn't it the Moonlight Sonata?" she asked and hoped that she hadn't embarrassed herself right now.

"Yes, it is," Horatio smiled encouragingly at her.

"Are you just playing sad pieces?" Stella asked after while.

"Sad pieces?" he asked astonished.

"Well…at least they sound…sad in a way…," she really was anything but a pro about this kind of music. She just listened to what she liked, no matter who'd written it in the first place.

"Hmm," Horatio mused and when the song ended, he stopped for a moment. "I'll play a happier song, if you can guess the name of this one here," he challenged her.

"Alright," she nodded and didn't have much hope to recognize a song at all, let alone knowing its name.

"I'm sure you know it," Horatio grinned and started to play. "So does that ring a bell?" he asked after a while, and looked at her expectantly.

"It's from a movie," Stella stated.

"Mhm, you're right, it is. A famous one nonetheless."

"Argh I can't believe it. It's on the tip of my tongue," she exclaimed and took a deep calming breath. "It's from…from..," she mumbled to herself. "It's from…Jurassic Park, yes it's the Jurassic Park theme!"

Laughing at her excitement, Horatio shook his head. "You're right it is. So I guess you deserve your happy song, huh?"

"Of course I do," she grinned widely at him.

"Okay, it's called Rondo Alla Turca, by Mozart," he said and stretched his hands before he started to play again.

Stella watched his quick fingers in amazement. She'd definitely have a knot in her own after seconds, so she was really fascinated by what Horatio was capable of. "Where did you learn to play?" she asked after a while and hoped she wouldn't interrupt him by doing so.

"At home, when I was a kid," came the slow reply.

"So your parents wanted you to have musical education?" she asked intrigued.

"My mother actually," he corrected her mildly. "She always wanted us, me and my brother, to play at least one instrument and since we had a piano at home, piano it was."

This was really interesting. "And when did you start playing?"

Horatio gave his best impression of a shrug. "I'm not sure, when I was four or five I guess. I just know that Ray hadn't been born yet."

"So your mother taught you how to play?"

"Yes, she did. She was really talented, in my humble opinion," he sighed and closed his eyes when he finished the last tones. Talking about his mom was never easy for him, so he tried to change the subject a bit. Taking the cigar from her, grinned at her. "Ever smoked one?"

"A cigar? No," she shook her head. "Cigarettes when I was younger."

"Oh you can hardly compare a fine cigar to an ordinary cigarette," he snorted for good measure. "Curious?" he asked, because he could see it in her eyes.

"And if I don't like it? Then the cigar is wasted."

"Stella," he chided her softly, "I think it's safe to say, that you can take a drag from mine." They had kissed each other and not only on the cheek, so it was too late to feel false shame. "Mhm?"

Stella just averted her eyes and took the cigar from him.

"Don't inhale, just whiff," he reminded her.

"Okay," she nodded and took a drag, but the moment the smoke entered her mouth, her face took a reddish colour and she started to cough.

"I told you not to inhale," Horatio couldn't stop laughing. "It's not a cigarette!"

"Ugh, how can you enjoy that?" Stella brought out and thrust the cigar into his hands. "Witches' brew."

"Aww," Horatio looked at his cigar, "don't listen to her, she didn't mean it."

"I did!" Stella shot back and drank something to stop the coughing.

"You just don't know what's good," Horatio replied easily and held his hand out for her. "Come on, let's get somewhere more comfortable, before you fall from the stool."

"Haha," Stella huffed but took his hand anyway.

"Believe it or not, but some women are quite…sexy when they smoke a cigar," Horatio said and pulled her towards the couch.

"Coughing your lungs out isn't worth looking sexy."

"I guess all plastic dolls over the world would disagree with that," Horatio grinned and sat down on the couch. Then he reached for the ashtray and put the cigar into it.

"Horatio?" Stella asked confused.

"It's fine, it will just run out and I can smoke the rest later," he smiled at her. "Do you want some more wine?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" she drawled amused and leaned back.

"Of course, that's my normal plan. First I let them smoke my cigars, then I'll give them wine to stop the coughing and after five or six glasses…" he trailed off.

"My, you're such a charmer," she rolled her eyes. "But another glass would be nice."

"Don't I know it?" he chuckled and got up again. "Be right back," he saluted and vanished into the kitchen.

"You know," Stella started when he came back again, "this was really a thoughtful gift from him," she nodded towards the photo album, which was lying on the couch table.

"Mhm, I'm still surprised myself to be honest," Horatio smiled gently and re-filled their glasses. "I didn't expect him to get me anything and then..._this_."

"Yes, it was obvious that you were...surprised," Stella teased him. "Should we have a look at it? Together?"

Horatio was torn between accepting and declining her offer. He already knew that it would be both wonderful and sad to see all those pictures: Maybe it was a good idea then to have someone with him.

As if sensing his thoughts, she squeezed his knee. "We don't have to do that now, Horatio, but maybe.."

"No, it's okay. I just don't know how I'll react to the pictures."

"That's fine; no matter how you react, if sad or happy, I'll be here and won't think any less of you. Okay?"

"Okay," he sighed and gave her a grateful smile, before he reached for the album.

"I know that newborns have blue eyes, but to be honest, those are not the typical baby eyes, those are yours," Stella commented when they came to a picture where Kyle's eyes were clearly visible.

"You think so?" Horatio asked and looked at her questioningly.

"Absolutely; it's the same stare in a way," she nodded.

"I'm starring at people?" he chuckled amused.

"Sometimes," she grinned and winked at him. "But what I mean is this determined look, he certainly inherited from you."

"Like the hands on the hips," Horatio joked.

"Ha, yes, I already noticed that," she laughed. "And seeing the reddish hair, there's no way that you can repudiate him. Not that you'd ever do that anyway," she quickly added in an afterthought.

"I really wish I'd known about him back then," Horatio sighed and smiled lightly when his eyes ran over a self painted picture. "It seems that he inherited my drawing skills as well," he snorted.

"So you draw like a five year old?" Stella teased. "Remind me that I never ask you for something self made for a present."

"I'm not _that_ bad…I guess."

"We won't chance it," she made clear and winced inwardly when the next picture was showing Kyle and an elderly woman. "Do you know who that is?"

"I can only assume," he shrugged. "Judging from his age, maybe his grandmother, Julia's mother, but I'm not sure."

"Hmm," Stella commented. "Do you…do you know if she's still alive?" she asked carefully.

"I have absolutely no idea and to be honest, I don't care. If I can trust Julia on this, then it was her mother's doing that Kyle ended in foster care, so there are no happy feelings on my side for this woman."

"_Now this was like opening a can of worms. Great, Stella."_ "I'm sorry, I didn't know..," she tried to apologize, but Horatio just shook his head.

"Not your fault. But that's how it is. I can't even blame the woman; I mean should she have looked out for her grandson? Yes. But knowing Julia and her way of…motherhood…I'm not surprised that Kyle ended up away from his family. Sometimes I wonder if this had been good, I mean…growing up in a shattered family isn't what one wishes for their children. But then again, he was handed around from one family to the other, which has damaged him as well. And when I think about that fact that my son was…always in my reach in some way…that I could have helped him…"

"But you didn't know Horatio and you're not to blame. Julia is Kyle's mother and she should have taken care of him like every good mother," Stella interrupted him immediately. "But she left him with someone else and you're not to blame for that. And do you know why? Because I know from the bottom of my heart that if you had known about him, you would have done anything in your power to help him…to be his father. Am I right?"

"Yeah," he whispered. "I would have and I actually did when I found him."

"See? But there was a different plan for the both of you. I can't tell you why fate decided to make it so hard for the two of you, but you're together at last," she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder. "And that's the most important thing, isn't it?" she asked softly.

"It is," he agreed, but his voice was still drained with melancholy. "But there's so much regret…so much time lost."

"You need to let go of that, Horatio. I know it's easier said than done, but before you can't let go of that...before you can't let go of looking into the past, you can't enjoy the here and now, let alone the future with your son. And may I say that spending time with your son is highly enjoyable."

"He...certainly is a great kid," Horatio said shyly, but definitely with proud.

"Yes he is and now you can help him growing into a fine man," Stella smiled at his behaviour and kissed his pink cheek. "And since his father is such a fine man, I'm positive that Kyle will follow in his father's footsteps."

"Flattery will get you anywhere, Stella," he turned his head to face her.

"I'll remember that," she said and squeezed him. "But it wasn't meant as such in particular, you know? I can see that the boy is looking up to you, otherwise he would have never invested so much time in finding pictures…not to forget that he also asked your best friends to help him. I don't know that much about the boy let alone his past, but from experience I know that not every boy with this particular past would be so...kind...and sensitive. And this is your work, Horatio."

"Thank you Stella, hearing this means a lot to me," he said gratefully and gave her a small smile.

"Well I only tell you the truth," she smiled and snapped the album shut. Then she put it on the table again and grinned at his confused look. "And I think," she started, "I think people need to tell you this more often," she said convinced and straddled him. "You're a good father, Horatio. Should, would, could…those are words of a fool. They only make you feel bad."

"Maybe," he mumbled and wrapped his arms around her.

"No, not maybe; they do," she corrected him. "In Boston you told me that I need to let go of Frankie, or I'll let him win." With infinite care she ran her fingertips over his face. "The same goes for you; don't let the past win. There's too much to lose in the future." She just knew that his mind was always playing around the 'what if' questions and she also knew that this could make him blind for what he actually had in front of him.

"It's hard," he mumbled and closed his eyes in relish. He wasn't the touchy type of guy, but with Stella it was different. She just knew how to sooth him, if by experience or reflex, he didn't care. She did and that was important.

"I know," she whispered and pressed light kisses on his eyelids. "It took me years to get over it; it actually took _you_ and a night in Boston to let me come to terms with it. I don't expect you to do a one-eighty, I just want you to open your eyes and see what's in front of you."

And that he did. He opened his eyes and what he saw, what he _really_ saw in this very moment took his breath away. He saw trust, patience, safety and proud. But he also saw other things, confidence, happiness, passion and maybe…something like love. Her eyes were telling him more than a thousand words could say and he accepted this gift. So when he captured her lips with his, there was no flourish, no squeals of delight like in the Hollywood movies; no, there was only calm surrender to what had built up between them since that night in Boston.

Stella couldn't help but smile into their kiss. He still tasted like a mixture of cigar, wine and a hint of tomato sauce. Moments before she would have pulled a face at this mixture, but combined with his unique flavour, she was quickly getting addicted to it.

Horatio must have felt the same, because when they broke the kiss, they were both out of breath. "This was…nice," he gave her a coy smile, which told her that it had been more than just _nice_. "Very nice," he continued and let his hands roam over her back and waist.

Biting her bottom lip provocatively, she reached for his hands and entwined them with hers. "Only very nice?" she purred into his ear and smiled to herself when she heard him gulp. She was a determined woman and what she wanted she got. And this time, _this_ was Horatio. So when he freed his hands and started to massage her thighs, she took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. "No stopping this time, Horatio. No thinking about what could be and what shouldn't. This is for you, me and us."

Holding her gaze, he knew that this was his chance to stop this. This was his chance to keep their status quo. This was his chance to allow himself something he had secretly longed for since Boston. He would never have this chance again, so he either took it or he didn't.

And he did.

"No, stopping this time," he told her with all the confidence he could muster in his slightly aroused state. "No stopping."

_**tbc**_


	11. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews. So.. did they stop or didn't they? Let's find out, shall we? **

**Chapter 9**

When Stella woke up the next morning, she felt utterly comfortable. Strong arms were wrapped around her and a solid frame was pressed against her back. She was aching in all the right places and the warmth that was radiating from her bedfellow made it hard for her to stay awake. But she wanted to stay awake. She wanted to relish every second of it. It had been a long, long time since she'd felt this peace and not even Boston came close to this experience. It was one thing to share a bed, but a totally different one from sharing body and soul. And that's what they'd done last night.

Smiling to herself, she relieved certain moments of their lovemaking; the way his hands had felt on her body, the way his smooth skin had felt under her fingertips. How complete she'd felt when they'd joined…

A loud snore brought her back to reality and she could already feel the heat boiling inside of her again. She had realized one thing last night – Horatio Caine was not only a passionate man, but also a passionate lover.

Turning on her other side, she smiled gently at the sleeping face in front of her. His eyes were moving quickly under his eyelids, which told her that he was still in dreamland.

Good.

This way she had more time to observe him. Again. She'd done that in Boston as well, but this time it was different in a way. Not that she could explain what kind of different, but it didn't change her feeling.

Carefully, if not to wake him by accident, she brushed a lose strand out of his face. He still looked that much younger when he was asleep and more peaceful. _"Well maybe more peaceful because of certain activities during the night,"_ she mused to herself cheekily, _"but peaceful nevertheless."_ Scooting a little closer, she kissed his nose and grinned when he pulled a face. He was really cute if he wanted to be.

"Don't pull a face," she whispered to him and brushed his cheek. There was slight stubble already, but she didn't mind. No, she rather liked this 'wild side' of him; when he wasn't as neat as pin. Though, in contrast to Boston, she had to admit that she liked him naked even more than in a pyjama. "I wonder how you'd look like with a beard," she mumbled to herself, but somehow couldn't picture him with a beard. A three-day beard, yes; but a full beard? Heck, no! It would only hide his handsome face anyway.

Kissing her forefinger she pressed it against his lips. "No, we wouldn't want you to hide your face," she told him and let her finger travel over his chin down to his neck. "That would be a waste." Hearing his grunt, she had to laugh softly. "You don't agree with me?" she asked playfully. "I don't care; you have no idea how beautiful you are, inside and out."

As if he was embarrassed by her praise, Horatio made a grunting sound and turned on his other side. With a deep sigh he snuggled deeper into his pillow and remained asleep.

Shaking her head at him, Stella wanted to snuggle closer when something caught her eye. Thanks to Horatio's turning over, the sheets had slid down to his waste and his back had become visible. And with that, also the scars it bore.

She knew better than that, but still she couldn't help but let out a small gasp. Quickly she held her breath and listened to his still regular breathing before she let out a breath in relief. He hadn't heard her quiet lack of control.

"What happened to you?" she asked him nevertheless and eyed the scars. Some seemed to be very old, some a little younger. Some were very small, while others were wide and long. _"The perfect size of a belt," _came into her mind and she closed her eyes at that. She'd been a police officer for too many years to not realize where those scars were proceeded from.

Abuse.

And judging by the way they looked like…

Child abuse.

Opening her eyes, she felt a wave of compassion running through her body. She would have never guessed that Horatio had been a victim of abuse in his childhood. He was so gentle and kind to everyone, especially to children. But then again, maybe this was one of the reasons _why_ he was so compassionate, because he knew where the victims were coming from.

"That's why you wanted me to make my peace with Frankie, didn't you? That's why you knew why it's so important," she realized and without noticing, she started to run her fingertips over the white scars. "You didn't act as a police officer that night, you acted as a victim yourself." Now a lot of things made sense.

"You're even more beautiful than I thought." He was probably broken and battered, but he was a beautiful being. When her lips started to caress the upper scars, she suddenly felt the shift in the room. Horatio's breathing sounded different, she couldn't here any snoring and suddenly, his whole body stiffened. He was awake and from experience she knew that his whole body language screamed to hide, but she wouldn't let him. Not now, not ever.

So she just wrapped her arm around him, snuggled as close as she was able to and nuzzled his neck. "Good morning," she greeted him softly. She had no intention of interrogating him about the story behind the scars and telling by his reaction, he wasn't so keen on telling her anyway, so she acted like nothing had happened.

Horatio knew that his reaction and fear were unnecessary, but after so many years, the habit was hard to break. Willing himself to get his control back, he took a deep breath and did his best to relax into her arms. "Morning," he mumbled sheepishly.

"Not a good one?" Stella asked cheekily and didn't want to give him any chance to dwell on bad thoughts.

Realizing this, Horatio smiled to himself. "Maybe…"

"Aww," Stella drawled and nudged his bottom. "Well _I_ think it's a good one," she huffed.

In one quick motion, Horatio turned around and rolled above her. "Stop that," he growled playfully.

"What?" Stella asked innocently and pinched his bottom. "That?"

"Yes, _that,_ woman," he nodded and gave her a stern glare.

"I don't know, I think you like it," Stella didn't back down and pinched him again.

"If you continue like this, I won't be able to sit," he complained, which made her laugh.

"Then it's a good thing that you're lying right now," she grinned and winked at him. "Good morning," she tried again and this time with success.

"Good morning," he leaned down and kissed her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well in fact," she nodded and licked her lips. "What about you?"

"Oh," he thought out loud, "I think I can't complain."

"Hey," she exclaimed and glared at him. "Aren't you charming this morning?"

"I aim to please," he shrugged lightly and tilted his head to the right. "Does it work?"

"Not really, but keep on trying," she snorted and rolled her eyes at him.

"There's no try you know? Do or do not..," he couldn't stop himself from replying and laughed when she gave him an annoyed glare. He really liked their teasing and the fact that they weren't embarrassed about what had happened last night. This was a very good sign.

"If you continue quoting Master Yoda in bed, then I'll kick you out," she threatened him.

"I'm sure you would," he sighed happily and winked at her. "So…any plans for today?"

"What about staying in bed all day?" she answered saucily.

"Already ready for a second round?" he raised his brows.

"Don't you mean a third one?" she asked nonchalantly and grinned when his face turned into a nice shade of pink.

Clearing his throat, Horatio nodded his approval. "Yeah…you could be right about that."

"I always am," she told him. "Especially when it comes to something like that."

"Interesting," he commented and groaned in complete embarrassment when his stomach rumbled rather loudly. "Breakfast first?" he asked in hope to keep a little of his dignity.

If she'd been able to, Stella would have rolled on the bed laughing. Leave it to Horatio and his stomach to break a rather appealing moment like this. Wiping away the tears, she nodded at him. "Well I can't let you starve, now can I? Though this would be a really interesting case, I might add."

"Haha," Horatio grimaced and poked out his tongue at her. "Stop laughing at me, since it's your fault that I'm hungry," he huffed in good humour and rolled back onto his side of the bed.

"Mine?" Stella asked incredulously and sat up.

"Two rounds?" Horatio shot back easily and got up from the bed. Reaching for his boxers, he put them on before he gave her his famous hands-on-the-hips stance. "That costs a lot of energy."

Snorting, she shook her head. "Poor man," she gave him a puppy face. "I hope you can make it to the kitchen."

"I hope so too, or you have to serve me in bed. Thinking about it that's not such a bad idea actually…"

"In your dreams, Mr. Caine," she put on some clothes and walked to the door.

"Well we still have some days, so I'll work on it," he smiled at her and together they left the room

With slow steps, Stella walked from one end to the other of the cupboard. Horatio was busy cleaning the kitchen and she had made use of this by snooping a little bit around. At first she had checked his DVD collection (and combined it with hers at home), then his music collection (and once again compared it with her own) and finally his books. It would have been an overstatement to say that Horatio's taste was only going into one direction; no he seemed to be pretty open to things and she liked that a lot.

Sure, she still wasn't so much into classical music and action movies, but it could have been a lot worse. Horror movies for example or country music. Not that she held some grudge against these genres, but they just weren't hers at all. Though picturing Horatio doing the square dance had something amusing.

Grinning to herself, she stopped in front of the most interesting shelf – the photo gallery. Taking a sip from her coffee she viewed the pictures and while she recognized some of the people, there were also some that conveyed nothing to her.

"I can't leave you out of my sight for even a moment, huh?" a voice behind her startled her and she quickly turned around to see Horatio who was still wearing his bathrobe just like she did. "I was curious," she told him without regret and smiled at him. "And pictured you doing some square dance."

"I won't even ask why you thought of that," Horatio shook his head.

"That's probably better," she giggled and turned her attention back to the pictures. "This is your team," she stated when she felt two strong arms around her waist.

"Mhm," he mumbled.

"But there are two men I don't recognize from the party. And they're not in the same picture."

"That's true as well," Horatio nodded and reached for one of the pictures. "This is…the old team so to say," he said softly. "This man on the left is Tim Speedle."

Stella just nodded.

Putting the picture back again, he reached for another one. "And this is the new team. As you can see there's Natalia and Ryan. Ryan is…Speed's replacement...so to say. After his death," he took a small breath, "I needed someone to fill Tim's place in the lab and well…"

She immediately realized his choice of words. 'Tim's place in the lab', he had said, not 'Tim's place in the team'. "Was he successful?"

"Mr. Wolfe is a good man and a good CSI. Yes, he did fill in, but he's not Speed and never will be." Speed had been one of his best friends, maybe even his best friend in particular, so no one would ever fill this empty place in Horatio's heart.

"I understand." And Stella did. After Aiden Burn had been fired, Lindsay Monroe had come to the lab and she'd never filled in Aiden's place when it came to the team, but in fact she had found her own one. So Stella guessed that this was the same for Ryan. One person could never fully replace another, because that was impossible. Every person had their own character and so they needed to find their own space in a team.

"Speed will always be missed and I have to admit that we didn't make it easy for Ryan in the first place, but he's fully accepted now so…"

"I can relate to that," she turned her head to look at him so she could give him a small smile. "So tell me, where this one was taken?" she asked and pointed at the old team. Horatio was holding a small trophy in his hands and everyone was grinning.

"Oh," he laughed, "I think that's when our shift won the beach volleyball tournament."

"You really have interesting things going on here," she raised her brows and shook her head.

"Well it's good for the team spirit," he just shrugged. "And it's always a lot of fun."

"I bet," she chuckled and reached for the next picture. "Who's that?"

"That's my family; my brother Ray, his wife Yelina and my nephew Ray jr. It's an old picture though, because Ray's been dead for...over ten years." Today he knew that this had been wrong, but in a way Ray's first death (even though it wasn't the real one) was always the date he used when talking about it with others. Eric knew about his brother, but then again due to his memory loss, Horatio wasn't even sure if he still remembered it. So the faked death was the measure to all things.

"I'm sorry, Horatio," she apologized even though there was no need to.

"It's okay; it happened long ago and even though it still hurts and will always do, I can talk about it."

Giving him a reassuring smile she leaned back a bit. "May I say that you two don't look…similar?"

Resting his chin on her shoulder, he smirked. "Yes you may and you're right, we don't...or...didn't. He was the lucky one of us and inherited the brown hair," he joked.

"Don't say that, it makes you really special."

"And standing out, especially as a kid," he pointed out.

"But also very attractive, especially to the ladies no matter which age," she shot back which made him smile.

"Maybe…"

"And that's Marisol?" she wondered out loud.

"Mhm...yeah...it was taken on our wedding day."

"She looks beautiful," Stella said in awe.

"She did...she really did," Horatio sighed with a hint of sadness. "I still don't know why she wanted to marry me. She was young and full of life."

"I guess she loved you," Stella stated matter of factly. And she couldn't blame Marisol for doing so. It was very easy to fall in love with him.

"Yeah…," he just mumbled and shook himself out of his misery. She still had a place in his heart and would always have, but it wasn't as big any longer as it'd been for a long time.

"And here we have, Kyle," Stella said after a while and rested her arms on his. "With….?"

"Julia, his mother." He'd never wanted to have a picture of her in his house, but this had been the first photo of his son ever, so he hadn't had the heart to hide it somewhere. "This was the first photo I ever got my hands on, so..yeah…she's on it as well," he explained to her, because he didn't want her to think that he was keeping pictures of his ex around.

"I see," came the short reply. She reached for the photo and scrutinized it a little closer. Horatio certainly knew how to pick out beautiful women, that was for sure. "Kyle's got her hair, but otherwise he looks more like you," she stated. So this was the woman who'd kept his son from Horatio. How kind of her!

"Probably, it's not that easy I think...and to be honest that's not so important for me. I'm just happy for him that he didn't inherit the red hair," he joked and hoped against hope that Stella wouldn't ask him about the next picture.

Of course she didn't do him the favour and he couldn't blame her for that. So when she took the last picture frame in her hand, he just sighed inwardly and braced himself for any questions she might have.

"That's you as a kid, isn't it?" she asked softly when her eyes fell on a probably 10 year old Horatio. He was standing right next to a woman who was sitting on a chair with a toddler in her lap. Behind Horatio stood a grim looking man, who didn't seem to be pleased to be there at all.

"Yes," Horatio whispered. "And my mom, my brother and my…father." Or as he always put it 'the man who'd fathered him'.

"You have her red hair and her blue eyes," Stella smiled gently at him. "She's a beautiful woman."

"Was…she was a beautiful woman," Horatio corrected her immediately.

Noticing his behaviour, she turned around in his arms. "Was?"

"Yeah, she died when I was still a kid. So did my...father."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she sighed and rested her head against his chest.

"I'm not, well.. partly…."

"I don't understand?" she asked bewildered. This wasn't the Horatio she knew and definitely not the reaction she'd expected.

"I loved my mom deeply; she was the most important person in my life. I adored her, I still do. She'd always been there for me and I truly wish that she'd still be here, but she isn't and she never will be. Do I miss her? By God, I do. But do I miss him? Not for a second."

Stella needed some time to process that. It was like seeing two Horatios at the same time. One was full of love for his mother and the other, seemed full of hatred for his father. Did this mean that… "He's the reason for your scars, isn't he?" she made the connection.

"Damn right," he brought out grimly. "Mom and I were his favourite punching ball. I can't even count all the broken bones and black eyes we received over the years thanks to him. Or all the lies I had to tell my friends and teachers about being a clumsy boy," he snarled.

"Horatio," she tried to calm him down, but he just shook his head.

"No," he interrupted her and freed himself from her embrace. He couldn't stand being close to her right now, so he pretty much fled out of the room into the garden. He needed some air to breathe and distance between him and the memories of the man who'd destroyed his childhood.

Crestfallen, Stella gazed after him. If she had only known that her curiosity would bring up such bad memories for him! _"Wonderful, Stella. Really wonderful. You certainly know how to spoil a moment and turn it into a complete disaster." _No, she wasn't happy with herself. With a sigh she put the picture back onto the shelf and walked to the patio door. She wanted to reach out to him; tell him that she was sorry and that her curiosity had been uncalled for; then again, she wanted to leave him alone, so he could have some time to cool down and get his thoughts back into order again.

In the end, she couldn't ignore what her heart was telling her.

When he heard his name and felt her arms around him, Horatio couldn't help but feel ashamed of his behaviour towards her. She hadn't tried to interrogate him; his grief and anger had just gotten the better of him and he was the only one to blame for that. "I'm sorry Stella," he hung his head, "my behaviour towards you was uncalled for. It's just that talking about...certain things in my life isn't easy for me."

"That's fine, Horatio. Don't worry, no harm done," she raised herself on tiptoes and kissed his neck. "I was too curious and started it. Don't blame yourself."

Too late for that. He would always blame himself for many things in his life. But this was neither the time nor the place to talk about it. "You're a CSI, it's in your blood," he tried to joke and turned around to face her. There was no pity in her eyes, which was good. He hated pity; he didn't want to be seen as weak by no one.

"But I'm not on duty," she chided him softly and snuggled up to him. "You know there's still your offer about the Ocean Drive," she changed the subject and grinned when she heard his groan. "Well you promised me that we'll go there before I fly back and that would be on Wednesday."

"Don't remind me of that," he answered and it wasn't clear if he meant the Ocean Drive or that she was going back to New York in three days. "But okay," he relented. "Ocean Drive it is and I just know the perfect restaurant for dinner tonight."

"Sounds too good to be true," she drawled and kissed his cheek. "Then let's get ready or the best clothes will already be sold," she then said and grabbed his hand. She was happy that he seemed to be in a better mood now and she wanted it to stay like this.

"Now that would be horrific," Horatio stumbled after her and asked himself if this had been such a good idea at all. Going shopping on a Sunday. Now this was like a dream coming true. Or maybe more like a nightmare?

_**tbc**_


	12. Chapter 10 part 1

**A/N: This is the first part of chapter 10, otherwise it would have been (once again) too long. Thank you all for your reviews, they mean a lot to me. **

**So everything is working just nicely at the moment, right? Let's see if it continues this way…**

**Chapter 10.1**

It was just before 8 o'clock on this beautiful Monday morning, when Horatio pulled his car into his parking spot in front of the Crime Lab. There weren't many times when Horatio didn't want to go to work (there were certainly good reasons why people called him a workaholic) but today was one of those rare days.

He wouldn't have minded spending the day at home or on the beach with a special lady and just enjoy the day without thinking about murder and criminals, but in the end his sense of duty had won. The fact that Stella had asked him to tag along for today had made his decision slightly easier of course.

"So are you really sure to spend your vacation in the Crime Lab?" He asked her when he stopped the engine. "Didn't Mac send you to Miami because he was worried about you showing up at the Crime Lab unexpectedly at home?" he wondered.

"Well he was worried about me working during my vacation," Stella acknowledged, "but I won't work today; I see this more like some kind of…broadening my horizon, you know?"

"Ah," Horatio nodded. "Broadening your horizon…I see. I guess I can't stop you from that?"

"Nope, I'm really looking forward to it. Mac had told me a lot about your Lab and I can't wait to see it for myself."

Knowing that he had lost, Horatio relented. "Well I was just asking, because you could be at home and marvel at yesterday's capture…," he grinned. This would occupy her for at least a couple of hours; or at least that was what his arms were telling him, since he'd been her servant during her shopping tour.

"No, no," she shook her head. "I planned this for tonight after work," she teased him. "And you're going to tell me what you think of _every_ piece of clothing I bought yesterday," she smiled sweetly at him.

"Wonderful," he grumbled and already saw himself sitting there for hours while Stella was floating around and trying out every combination that came into her mind. "Now this will be fun."

"I knew you'd like that; but now it's time for work, I'm sure it looks bad if the boss comes in late, huh?" she pointed at her watch and kissed his cheek.

"Knowing my team, I'll be the first one here anyway," he shot back and had barely left the car, when Stella was already waiting for him. She really was looking forward to a day in the lab he conceded and wished he'd be as enthusiastic as she apparently was. "Well then, let's get in," he smiled at her and rested his hand on the small of her back.

Flashing him a big smile, Stella followed him and was quite impressed when they stepped out the lift at the lab's floor. "Wow…that's shiny..," she mumbled.

"Not to forget glassy," Horatio chuckled and walked to the entry desk.

"Yeah that too," she agreed and now knew why Mac had been rather impressed by Miami's Crime Lab. Their own wasn't that bad either, but this one here was definitely different. So much glass and the colours… "You know it looks almost unrealistic, are you sure that this isn't a Hollywood studio?" she joked.

Turning his head, he winked at her. "Hush now or you'll destroy the scene."

"I'm sorry," she whispered for good measure and stopped right next to him at the entry desk.

"Good morning, Lieutenant," a woman greeted them.

"Good morning, Paula," Horatio nodded and smiled at her. "I assume that I have the one or other message waiting for me?"

Returning the smile, she nodded. "Uh-huh, people were quite demanding to talk to you," she told him and offered him a pile of notepads.

Grimacing, Horatio reached for them and sighed deeply. "Story of my life. But listen Paula, I need a guest ID," he then said and nodded at Stella. "This is Det. Stella Bonasera from the New York Crime Lab and she's visiting us today. So can you please create an ID with all the necessary clearings for the whole lab?"

"Of course, Lieutenant and welcome in Miami Det. Bonasera," Paula replied readily. "I just need you to sign in here," she handed her a protocol sheet. It wasn't unusual that people visited the Crime Lab, it was more unusual that the Lieutenant himself gave in their name hence he had a lot to do.

"This shouldn't be a problem, thank you Paula," Stella quickly signed the sheet and a few moments later she had her very own Lab ID. "So where do we start?" she looked at Horatio expectantly.

"I'm afraid that we have to start in my office," Horatio gave her a weak smile. "So," he looked around suspiciously and leaned towards her, "I can get rid of all the messages," he winked at her.

"Naughty," she grinned back. "But I'll pretend that I didn't see anything."

"Good," he nodded in approval and motioned her to follow him.

The lab was still quiet, even though most of the day shift staff was already there. The machines didn't look any different from the ones back home in New York and she could feel the slight itching in her fingers to just rush into a lab and get her hands on some samples. _"No, you're just here for observing, Stella. Both Mac and Horatio will have your head if you start working here," _she chided herself. _"You're on vacation dear, so no work for you."_

"Ah there's Mr. Wolfe," Horatio announced when they entered the trace lab in order to reach the stairs for Horatio's office.

Looking up from the objects on the table in front of him, Ryan nodded at Horatio and then raised his brows a bit when he noticed Stella. "Good morning, H and happy belated Birthday," the young man walked around the desk and shook Horatio's hand. "I'm sorry for not being able to come to the party."

"That's fine. Mr. Wolfe. The bed needed you more than the BBQ."

"Yeah, I guess so," the man shrugged lightly and then held out his hand to Stella. "I'm sorry, I don't think that we've met yet. I'm Ryan Wolfe."

"Stella Bonasera," she took his hand. "And no we haven't met yet. I'm on vacation and thought that I'll visit the Crime Lab," she explained.

Noticing Ryan's confused look, Horatio chimed in. "Stella's a CSI in New York," he smiled, "and has asked me to broaden her horizon a bit." Well actually she hadn't given him any chance to decline her wish, but Ryan didn't need to know about that.

"Ah," he nodded in understanding. He'd overheard a conversation between Natalia and Calleigh a few minutes before in which they'd been talking about a woman, living at Horatio's house at the moment. "Well then, I hope you're having a great time here in Miami."

"I'm sure I will, but thank you Mr. Wolfe."

"Oh just call me Ryan please," he asked her because he hated being called Mr. Wolfe. He had just no idea how to make his boss understand this.

"Okay, thank you Ryan. And please call me Stella," she smiled at him.

"I'll call up a meeting in about 15 minutes, so we can get an update on our cases, Mr. Wolfe," Horatio nodded at the man and motioned Stella to follow him up the stairs.

"Alright, H, see you then," Ryan called after them and made himself the note that he needed to ask Calleigh and Natalia about what was going on between Horatio and Stella. He was never so much into gossiping, but when it came to his boss, things were entirely different.

It was well past noon, almost afternoon when the team was enjoying their late lunch in the break room. Someone had ordered some Chinese take out for the whole group and now busy chatter and laughing was the only thing being heard.

Stella had thoroughly enjoyed her day in the lab. She liked the way the team was working together and that they all seemed to get along quite well. Sure, she'd already noticed that at Horatio's party, but still, work and free time were two entirely different things.

At first she had followed Horatio around until he'd been called into an interrogation. Luckily she'd met Calleigh soon afterwards and had then visited probably everything. She had also met Kyle in the morgue and had chatted a bit with him. Of course she'd told him about her shopping tour and judging by the gleam in Kyle's eyes, Horatio would be cornered by the boy sooner or later. Yes, she really had had a good day so far.

"Stella, don't forget the recipe please, yes?" Calleigh addressed her and brought her out of her musings.

"The recipe? Oh yes," Stella smiled and pointed at Horatio. "He has it."

Horatio, who had half listened to the girls, gave them a questioning glance. "I have what?"

"The recipe; for the tzaziki and the pita," Stella explained him in her best 'what-else-should-we-talking-about' tone.

"I don't have any recipes," he looked bewildered.

Sighing to herself, Stella rolled her eyes, so only Calleigh could see it. "Take a look at the inside pocket of your jacket," she told him and munched her egg rolls.

Arching his brows, he had no idea what she was talking about, but did as he was told. Women, they were such a walking mystery. "What the heck," he exclaimed when he indeed felt something in his pocket and pulled it out. He unfolded the sheet and glared at Stella. "Funny."

"H, the silent messenger," Eric grinned at his boss. "Now that would be a good idea, if we want to send some notes, we won't use the cells any longer but H."

"Over my dead body, Eric," Horatio huffed and handed Stella the paper. "Care to explain how they ended up in my jacket?"

"Well you weren't around this morning, but your jacket was when I wrote down the recipes, so I thought that they wouldn't disappear in there," Stella shrugged nonchalantly.

"I…see..," Horatio just mumbled and made a note to himself to check his other pockets as well once he was alone. Who knew what else he was carrying around without his knowledge!

"I think this was a very good idea, thanks Stella," Calleigh smiled. "They'd just get lost in a handbag."

"That's what I thought as well," Stella nodded enthusiastically. At least there was someone who understood her.

"So I'm a walking handbag now?" Horatio asked incredulously, but had to fight hard to keep his stern face, especially when the boys howled in laughter.

"I didn't say that but-" Stella started when she was interrupted by several chirping noises.

"Looks like we have a case," Horatio said after looking at his beeper. "Care to come along?"

"Would that be alright? I mean I can stay here if that's better..," Stella said unsure.

"You got your badge with you?"

"Yes, it's in my handbag," she replied and shook her head when Horatio reached for another of his pockets. "Not you, Silly."

"You never know when it comes to you," Horatio deadpanned and got up. "Okay guys, Stella and I will see you at the crime scene then."

"You got it, H," they replied in unison and quickly left the room.

"Then let's go," Horatio opened the door for her and hoped that the case wouldn't take too long. Their shift was almost over and he had no interest in doing overtime while Stella was in Miami.

"What do we have, Frank?" Horatio asked when he and Stella approached the tall, Texan Sergeant.

"One victim, name is Jane Donovan. Married to Jake Donovan, but we haven't found him yet," Frank replied easily and then gave Stella a charming smile. "Hey Stella, I hope he didn't make you to come here?"

Laughing, she shook her head and ignored Horatio's scowl. "Nope, I asked him actually."

"Knowing you and knowing him, you actually didn't take no for an answer, huh?" Frank asked amused.

"The case Francis," Horatio grumbled, before this would get out of hands.

"Ah yes; as I said, we're searching for the husband right now. Could be a relationship related crime because she was shot in the bedroom, but maybe something else, but that's what you are here for, right?"

"Right," Horatio nodded and motioned at Ryan and Eric to follow him. "We're going inside. Is the ME already there?"

"She is," Frank nodded.

"Good. Stella you'll stay with Cal and Natalia, okay? If it was a stranger, he needed to get into the house somehow."

"You're the boss, Horatio," she just shrugged, even though she would have liked to see him in action.

"That's what they always tell me, but sometimes it's just a rumour I think," Horatio mumbled to himself and entered the house with his colleagues. "I'll check on what Dr. Price got to tell us. Start with the first floor please."

"Will do Boss," they both replied and started to work.

Upstairs, Horatio entered the bedroom and was greeted by Dr. Price. "Can you already tell me something about the COD, Doctor?" he asked her politely and put on some gloves.

"I think it's safe to say that this shot in the head killed her immediately," Dr. Price replied and pointed at the wound on the victim's forehead.

"Hmm," Horatio walked a little closer. "This looks like GSR, doesn't it?"

"I thought so as well. Do you think she knew her murderer?"

"Maybe," Horatio mumbled. "But if she was asleep, it could have been anyone."

"But this looks more like an execution than a heist, don't you think?"

"That's...what we're going to find out."

"I can't find anything that leads into a burglary," Natalia sighed and took a photo of the entry door.

"Well we don't know if it was one, maybe the victim knew her murderer," Calleigh said and powdered the door handle.

"That doesn't make it any better," Stella said softly and watched the others work. Just because she was allowed to enter a crime scene, didn't mean that she was allowed to handle any evidence.

"Not really," Natalia agreed and had a closer look at the flowerbed next to the entry.

"Maybe the others have more luck."

Horatio took a few more pictures of the victim before he nodded at the coroner, so they could take the victim into the lab. "I'll talk to you once I'm back," he told the ME and turned around when he heard someone else approaching. "Have you found the husband yet, Frank?"

"No, but something else. The neighbours told me that the Donovans were anything but a happy couple and that they had regular shouting matches."

"Oh? Do you know what they were about?" Horatio asked intrigued.

"Seems like the husband accused his wife of being unfaithful and bringing her lovers into the house as well."

"Interesting," Horatio mumbled. "And was he right?"

"The neighbours wouldn't tell," Frank shrugged. "But I'll go into it. Maybe it wasn't the husband but some affair."

"True," Horatio nodded. "And please check if either Mrs. or Mr. Donovan owns a gun."

"Will do, H," the Texan replied and left Horatio alone again.

"Thank you, Frank," Horatio called after him and then concentrated on the crime scene again. "So what do we have here," he mumbled to himself and reached for the tweezers. "Now, you don't belong to the victim, now do you?" he said when he picked up a short, black hair. Reaching for a small bag, he heard footsteps behind him. Smiling, he bagged the evidence and asked, "Some more news Frank?"

"No."

His smile faltered immediately. Turning around he found himself looking straight into a raised gun. "Mr. Donovan I assume?" he asked politely and did his best to stay calm.

_**tbc**_


	13. Chapter 10 part 2

**A/N: And here is the second part of the chapter. Thank you for your reviews and I hope you're not sitting on the edge of your chairs after reading this part. Please be aware of the fact that some…adult..vulgar language is used in this chapter. **

**Chapter 10.2**

"You're one of them aren't you?" the man asked. "One of the men my so called wife did in our bed!"

Well if this man was Mr. Donovan, then Horatio had his suspect, but this didn't mean anything right now. "My name is Horatio-"

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE WHAT YOUR NAME IS," the man roared.

"_This is certainly going just great," _Horatio sighed to himself and took a deep breath. There was no way that he could escape out of the room, since the man was standing near the entry, while he himself was standing on the other side of the room. "Please calm down, Sir," he tried again and feverishly thought about a way out.

"You're asking me to calm down?" the man blinked. "My wife, the whore was sleeping with men behind my back and you tell me to calm down?"

"You'll make things only worse by killing me," Horatio replied seriously and let his hand trail down towards his gun.

"No, it will make things even better."

"Hey we have a back door," Natalia grinned and waved at the two other women.

"That's great, maybe the suspect took this way to get into the house," Calleigh grinned and took a few pictures.

"Well it's open, so there's a good chance for that," Stella agreed and winced when a shot rang out.

"This came from upstairs," Ryan whispered to Eric. "Where's H?"

"Upstairs," Eric replied and motioned to the police officer to take the lead.

"Damn it and he didn't call that-"

"Shut up, Wolfe," Eric hissed. He didn't need to hear that it probably wasn't Horatio who had used his gun. Carefully the three men approached the noises which came from the bedroom.

"And now you're going to die just like her," he laughed and aimed at his second victim. "Goodbye."

Another shot rang out and only seconds later, three men ran into the room. "Damn it, H," Eric rushed to his boss's side. "We need paramedics immediately," he yelled at Ryan who had checked the other man's pulse but didn't find one. Quickly he stumbled to the window, opened it and shouted for the paramedics who were still waiting down on the street.

"Hey H, come on...wake up for us, will ya?" Eric patted Horatio's cheek and pressed his other hand on his friend's shoulder.

"What happened?" three women stormed into the room. "Where's- Oh no Horatio!."

Stella was faster than the others and kneeled down next to him. "What happened?"

"We have no idea, but I guess we found our suspect," Ryan answered the question and nodded towards the dead man lying on the ground only a few steps away. If it hadn't been for the police officer's quick reaction, it might have been Horatio being dead.

"I think H hit his head when he fell down," Eric pulled a face when he noticed the blood oozing from a head wound. It didn't have to be a big wound, but on the head they were always nasty and bled a lot.

Before anyone could say something else, two paramedics stormed into the room and stopped next to the dead body.

"It's too late for him," Ryan said, on which the two men nodded.

"We need some room, please stand back," one of them said and crouched down next to his patient. "Sir, Ma'am," he looked at Stella and Eric. "Please let us do our job."

Sitting on this uncomfortable plastic chair felt like an eternity and yet it had just been two hours at the most. Sighing, Stella wrung her hands together and couldn't help but feel utterly helpless. They hadn't heard from Horatio since he'd been wheeled into the ER and even though they said that no news were good news, she just needed to hear something, anything from the doctor.

"Here's a coffee," Calleigh sat down next to her.

"Thank you," she replied silently and sipped on it without noticing.

"You know that Horatio is too stubborn to give up, right?" Calleigh asked her and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I hope so," Stella mumbled and leaned back into the chair.

"He is; I've known him for over 10 years now and the first thing I realized about him was his stubbornness."

"Which can be pretty unnerving from time to time," Stella smiled lightly.

"Oh yes," Calleigh giggled, "but this time it would be for the best so we should allow him to be stubborn from time to time."

"Yeah," Stella nodded and looked up from her cup when she heard Kyle's voice.

"Stella, Calleigh...where's my dad?" the boy rushed into the waiting room.

"Kyle," Stella stood up and without thinking she hugged the boy. "He's still in surgery and we don't know how he is."

"But that's not a bad thing," Calleigh continued. "If his condition had worsened, they would have told us."

"What happened to him? Dr. Price couldn't tell me anything, just that Dad had been alright when she last talked to him."

Looking at Calleigh, Stella tried to find out how much they could tell the boy about the incident. On the one hand, it was an ongoing case and the less knew about it the better, but then again, Horatio was Kyle's father so he had a right to know.

"Why don't you tell him and I'll drive to the lab to see what the boys have found out?" Calleigh used the easy way out. For one thing, Stella seemed to get along pretty well with the boy and for another thing, she was now in charge of the lab and she could already hear Stetler sharpen his knives. Knowing the weasel he'd use any opportunity to hurt Horatio and the lab.

"Okay," Stella said and motioned the boy to take a seat.

"Please call me immediately once you know something, will you?"

"Of course, Calleigh. Talk to you later," she waved at the woman, before she turned her attention back to Kyle. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No! I want to know what happened to my dad," the boy replied impatiently, but Stella didn't blame him. Not knowing what had happened to their father had habit to make people behaving differently.

"We were at a crime scene and until now it looks like the suspect came back and confused your father for one of the…victim's affairs."

"What?" the boy asked incredulously.

"The husband killed his wife because he believed her to be unfaithful; then he saw your father in their bedroom and...well…"

"But…shouldn't a crime scene be cleared before the team arrives?" He wasn't a CSI or a police officer, but he had learned a few things from his father.

"Yes and I can't tell you how this happened. He probably hid somewhere in the house or the garden maybe… I can't tell you, Kyle," Stella sighed.

Nodding, the boy accepted her explanation. "The man shot him?"

"Yes, it looked like your father had been hit in his shoulder and when he fell to the ground he also hit his head on the nightstand. He was unconscious when Eric and Ryan found him and he didn't come back during the ride to the hospital. So all we can do is speculate what happened in the bedroom."

"I see," Kyle mumbled and stared at his hands. "Do you think he will die?" he asked, the fear in his voice and eyes was more than obvious.

"I'm not a doctor Kyle," Stella wrapped one arm around his shoulder, "but as Calleigh pointed out only moments before, he's stubborn. So even if his injuries are threatening, he won't give up." Now they just had to believe in those words.

"Yeah," Kyle sighed and didn't want to think about what happened if Horatio didn't stick to his usual stubbornness.

A few minutes later, the waiting came to an end when the door of the OR was opened and Alexx stepped into the room.

Immediately, both Stella and Kyle rose from their chairs and looked at her worriedly.

"How's my dad?" Kyle asked. He needed answers and he would get them, no matter what.

Grasping his arms, Alexx gave him a reassuring smile. "Your dad is one hell of a lucky man," she said. "The bullet didn't hit anything major and except of the fact that his arm and shoulder will be sore for the next couple of days, he'll be fine. His head wound got me more worried actually, but it's a good thing that your dad is pig-headed. He's got a mild concussion and some nice headache, but as I said before, he'll be fine."

"Thank God," Stella breathed in relief. A sore arm and a headache; compared to being seriously injured or dead, this was like nothing at all.

"Can we see him?" Kyle asked hopefully. Hearing that his dad would be fine was good, but seeing it with his own eyes even better.

"Yes, you can," Alexx nodded. "He's transferred to his room as we speak; but he's still out of it."

"I don't care," the boy quickly replied. As long as his dad was breathing, he really didn't mind.

"Let me bring you to his room then," Alexx smiled at them reassuringly and motioned them to follow her.

When they reached his room, Stella didn't enter the room. Seeing two curious faces directed at her, she shrugged sheepishly. "There's a phone call I have to make."

"You do that, Sugar," Alexx smiled and then turned to Kyle. "Just go inside, I'll be back in about twenty minutes."

"Okay, Alexx," the boy just nodded and entered his dad's room.

A few meters further away, Stella reached for her cell and keyed in a familiar number. Only seconds later the other person answered the phone.

"_Stella, now this is a nice surprise. How are you?"_

"Hey Mac," she sighed and leaned against the wall behind her.

"_I know this tone. What happened?"_ Mac asked immediately alarmed.

"There was a shooting…" she trailed off.

"_Stella, don't stress this out. Just tell me what happened. Are you alright?"_

"Yes, I'm alright," she nodded even though he didn't see it. _"Well, as okay as I could be,"_ she then added silently to herself. "Horatio's been shot."

At first there was only silence on the other side of the line, before Mac carefully asked. _"Will he make it?"_

"Yes, according to Alexx he'll only have a sore arm and head."

Mac had no idea who this Alexx was, but this didn't matter. It made him wonder though how far Stella was already accepted by Horatio's friends. But finding out had time, there were other important things now. _"Good,"_ he sighed in relief. _"Do you want me to come down to Miami?"_

"Uh..no..Mac. But I'd ask you for another favour."

"_Just name it, Stella."_

"I wanted to ask you if I can stay a bit longer in Miami. You know...my flight goes on Wednesday and.."

Oh Mac definitely _knew_. _"Let me check that,"_ he answered and had a brief look at the labs schedule. _"You can stay until Sunday, Stella. But I need you back on Monday for court."_

"The Johnson case," she said in recognition.

"_Yeah, you've been the head leader in this case and they want you to testify in person. I'm sorry, if I could, I'd try to switch places."_

"I totally forgot about the case," she sighed.

"_That's understandable, Stella. Don't worry about it. Do you think staying until Sunday will be enough?"_

"It has to be, doesn't it?" she replied and really wished that she could stay longer, but she knew that Mac's hands were bound in this case. And she certainly wouldn't want a murderer walk away freely just because she didn't do her job. "Thank you, Mac. It means a lot to me."

"_You're welcome. Please give Horatio my regards and tell him that he's way too old to play Rambo, will you?"_

"I will," she chuckled, "but I don't think that he'll listen. He's just like you...you know?"

"_Ah that hurt, but I'll forgive you this time,"_ he said playfully, before he turned a bit more serious. _"If you need someone to talk, just call me. No matter what time it is."_

"I will but I hope that I don't have to."

"_I hope so too. And now go to him and get some rest as well. I'll talk to you later."_

"Yes, later Mac," she smiled and hung up. Putting her cell back into her pocket, she quickly made her way back to Horatio's room and entered it this time. "Hey Kyle," she greeted the only awake occupant in the room.

"Hey," the boy replied but didn't look at her, which didn't get unnoticed by Stella.

"How are you holding up?"

The boy just shrugged. "My dad's been shot," he said as if this would answer everything.

"He has a dangerous job," Stella walked up towards Horatio's bed. "And sometimes such things just happen. No matter if we like it or not."

"Yeah...," he sighed. "But still I would feel better if he was awake."

"I know how you feel, but he needs as much rest as he can get," she stopped behind Kyle, who was sitting on a stool next to his father's bed. "And Alexx said that he'll be alright and you trust Alexx, don't you?" she rested her hands on his shoulders.

"My dad trusts her." So he trusted her as well in a way.

"And this means a lot, don't you think?" she asked rather rhetorically and eyed the sleeping figure in the bed. Horatio looked a bit pale, no wonder since he'd lost some blood and there were two stark white bandages, one around his head and the other on his shoulder. Stella didn't even want to think about the possibility that the bullet could have hit him just a few inches more downwards… then they probably wouldn't even be in the hospital any longer but in the morgue. Alexx was right; he really was one hell of a lucky man. And so were they, because they hadn't lost him today.

"Hey you two; are you watching over our sleeping beauty?" Alexx whispered when she joined them at the bed.

"When will he wake up?"

"Oh Honey, this will take a couple of hours," Alexx replied and checked Horatio's vitals. "That's why I'd suggest that you both get home and get some rest. We'll need all our strength to keep him in the hospital, that's for sure."

"Is he that bad?" Stella asked wondering.

"Even worse, Sweety. We probably need to handcuff him to the bed," Alexx sighed annoyed. "As I know him, he wants to leave the hospital the moment he reached consciousness again. You don't like being in the hospital, right Honey?" she patted Horatio's cheek.

"_He must have been there a lot in his childhood,"_ Stella assumed and so it was no surprise that he wasn't very fond of them at all. "Well we'll do our best to keep him here," she promised Alexx, but wasn't sure if she had the heart to say no to him. She knew about the impact his baby blue eyes had on her. It was a good thing that Alexx had the final word and that the woman seemed to be immune to his charm. _"This must have taken her years and a lot of training..."_

"Can't we stay until he wakes up?" Kyle interrupted her inner musings.

"This will be the middle of the night," Alexx smiled gently at him. "And I'm sure your dad wouldn't approve of you staying here half of the night just to watch him sleep, don't you think?" It was certainly a good thing that Alexx was a mother, so she knew how to treat the slightly disturbed boy.

"Alexx is right; there's no need to sit here for hours and don't get any sleep," Stella conceded and squeezed Kyle's shoulder to underline this.

"Okay," the boy sighed reluctantly and got up from his chair. "But we'll be back in the morning."

"That's perfectly fine, Honey," Alexx nodded. "But you need some rest as well."

"We'll bring some clothes and toiletries tomorrow; I guess he'll be happy to be out of this fashionable hospital gown," Stella laughed quietly and stroked Horatio's cheek. "Sleep well."

"You can bet on that," Alexx replied and opened the door.

"So have you eaten something?" Stella asked Kyle when they left the room.

"Uh...no...I kinda…forgot about that."

"What about some take out? How does pizza sound?"

"Sounds perfect," he smiled lightly.

"I'll leave you two alone then, have a good night."

"Good night, Alexx," both chorused.

"Did you come by car?"

"I did," Kyle nodded.

"Perfect, then you'll drive and I'll call Calleigh to tell them the good news."

Unknowing to them, Alexx watched the pair until they turned around a corner. Shaking her head, she took a last look at the sleeping man in the bed. "You really are a lucky man, even though you probably don't realize it."

_**tbc**_


	14. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas full of joy. **

**Chapter 11**

When Stella and Kyle stepped on Horatio's floor the next morning, they just knew that Horatio had to be awake. A quietly cursing nurse left his room the moment they turned around the corner and they could only imagine that Horatio was giving the staff a hard time already. Looking at each other, they just shrugged and grinned.

"When the going gets rough, we need to call Alexx," Stella giggled and Kyle could only agree.

"Yeah, what was that about the handcuffs? Maybe he needs a gag too?"

Laughing, Stella shook her head. "I don't hope so, but I think Alexx will find some somewhere," she said and already felt a lot better. If Horatio was fit enough to annoy the nurse, he had to be just fine. "Now let's step into the lion's den."

Horatio put on his best scowling face when he heard the door opening, but this changed into a smile the moment he realized who his visitors were. "Kyle, Stella…you need to get me out of here."

Looking at each other, the two couldn't help but smirk. It was just as Alexx had predicted the night before. "I think I heard someone mumbling about you staying here for at least a week," Kyle couldn't help but tease his dad and the reaction came immediately.

"What?" Horatio sputtered and looked utterly shaken.

"Wasn't it two weeks, Kyle?" Stella played along.

"Yeah I think you're right," Kyle nodded and put down the small travel bag.

Realizing that they were only joking, Horatio glared at them. "Very funny."

"Sometimes it's too easy to tease you, Dad," Kyle smiled at his father and with a few steps he stopped at the bed and sat down on it. "How are you, Dad? Are you hurting? They told us to go home, even though we wanted to stay here and wait until you wake up," he babbled away and it was easy to see that he was still struggling with the situation and that his jokes were nothing more than a façade.

"I'm fine, Kyle. Really", he patted his son's hand. "My shoulder is throbbing a bit and I have a mild headache, but that's all."

"Do you need some painkillers?" Stella asked and claimed the other side of the bed.

"No thanks, they just make me feel groggy," Horatio declined and reached for his cup of coffee, the only edible part of this whole thing they called breakfast. "But if you want to, you could get me some doughnuts," he smiled sweetly at them.

"Ah don't tell me that you don't like this…," Kyle had a quick look at Horatio breakfast, "…slime?"

"It's certainly no comparison to your Louku...you know what I mean," Horatio looked at Stella.

"Loukoumádes; and I'm not sure if this is a compliment," Stella raised one brow.

"I think this means that you have to eat your slime, Dad," Kyle grinned and felt the tension disappearing more and more. His dad was joking around and looked a lot better than yesterday. "I'm sure it's very nutritious."

"But it tastes like pasteboard," Horatio whined.

"Well then it's a good thing that you have enough coffee to wash it down."

"You know, I thought the nurse was heartless, but I may have to change my mind," Horatio huffed. "Did you at least bring me some real clothes?" He was sick and tired of wearing this gown.

"It's your lucky day, yes we did," Stella smiled. "And some toiletries as well."

"Maybe you aren't that heartless after all," he conceded. "And I think I'm more than ready to change into something real."

"Not before we checked your wounds," Alexx' stern voice could be heard, when she entered with a nurse in tow. "And talk about your manners towards the hospital staff."

"Uh oh Dad, you made Momma Bear angry, good luck," Kyle whispered to his dad and got up from the bed.

Stella had the same idea because she didn't want to be on the receiving side of Alexx's anger.

Horatio just murmured something in his beard, which sounded like "..shouldn't give me slime to eat and poke around with needles..", but otherwise he was wise enough to say nothing.

Stella hid a grin and walked to the end of the bed. "I'll unpack your clothes," she announced but before she even had the chance to reach for the bag, she was stopped by Alexx.

"Would you mind having a cup of coffee with me? There's something I wanted to talk about," she said and the tone made it clear that she didn't want to hear any excuses.

Blinking, Stella had no idea what was going on and what Alexx wanted to talk about. Maybe something about Horatio and his wounds? But why wouldn't she talk about that in Horatio's presence? Were his wounds more critical after all? "I...a coffee sounds great.."

"Perfect. Kyle you can help your father with his clothes," Alexx ordered the boy, "and we'll be back soon."

Throwing one last glance at Horatio, who seemed to be as clueless as she was, Stella followed Alexx outside.

"The cafeteria has good coffee so let's go there," Alexx took the lead and five minutes, one floor lower and a few hallways later, they both sat next to a huge window with two steaming cup of coffees in front of them.

Stella was still completely clueless as to what Alexx wanted to talk about and she couldn't help but squirm on her seat. "Is...something wrong with Horatio?" she asked timidly.

"No," Alexx smiled. "As I told you yesterday, he's fine; except of his pig-headedness of course," she snorted.

"Okay…," then she really had no clue what was going on. "He already asked us to get him out of here," she offered, when Alexx stayed silent.

"I'm not surprised he did, but he'll have to stay here until tomorrow at least," Alexx replied easily. "But it's not easy to say no to this eyes of his, huh?" she asked cheekily.

"No," Stella averted her eyes and took a sip of her coffee. "It's not."

"So tell me, what's going on between you two?"

Spluttering, Stella quickly reached for a napkin and wiped her mouth. "Excuse me?"

"Well," Alexx shrugged, "I have two eyes and they're both working fine; I'm also a mother and even though Horatio isn't my own son, he's still one of my babies. So I ask again, what's going on between you and him?"

Oh wonderful! Now she had to explain something she didn't understand herself. "We are friends?" she offered rather lamely and wished to be somewhere else, far away from momma bear.

"I won't deny you are," the doctor stayed calm, "but you are more than that. I mean…he offered you to stay at his house."

"Otherwise I would have had to sleep under a bridge," Stella argued back.

"Horatio knows more hoteliers than I can count and it would have been easy for him to call in a favour," Alexx replied unimpressed. Seeing Stella's wide eyes though, made her smile. "I guess he didn't tell you about this, huh?"

"No." Now this was interesting. Did that mean that he had wanted her to stay at his house anyway? And had just come up with this sci-fi convention? Thinking about it, had she seen any poster for this event?

"I see, well this makes it even more interesting, don't you think?" Alexx asked and enjoyed this immensely. Sometimes people didn't see the forest for the trees. "But anyway, so he offered you to stay with him, which means a lot, since he's a very private person. And yes he'd probably do that for a very good friend, but I'm still not blind."

"What do you mean?" Stella asked confused.

"I saw him looking at you during the party; I also saw him blush when you leaned closer to him," Alexx pointed out. "And I saw your crestfallen look when you entered the ER yesterday." Stella had looked as pale as Horatio had and all this 'being friend's aside, there was more to that and they all knew it. "So I'm just asking you for an honest answer, Stella. I'm not angry or something, no I'd be happy if he has found someone else. Nothing makes me happier than seeing my oldest baby being happy again."

"I have no idea…what we are..," Stella admitted.

"Now you lost me."

"I can't tell you what we are, because I don't know. We never talked about it..," Stella ran her fingers through her hair. "Are we friends? Yes, we are. Are we more? Probably; after...mhm…," she quickly looked around and then ended in a whisper, "…sleeping together."

This time it was Alexx who almost choke on her coffee. "You had sex?"

"Yeah," she gave her a half smile.

This was even more serious than Alexx had realized. "But you're not a couple?"

"I don't think so," Stella shrugged helplessly. "As I said, we never talked about it. It just...happened…and yeah...I actually don't know what to say."

"Then you need to talk to him about this. I mean it, this is too important to just ignore it." She didn't blame Stella for anything, she just knew that Horatio's heart had been broken far too often and she didn't want to see it happen again.

"I know; especially since I'm going to leave on Sunday."

"Sunday? I thought you'd leave tomorrow?"

"I called my boss and asked him for a few more days," Stella smiled shyly.

"That's perfect," Alexx patted her hand. "This will give you two enough time to talk." And they needed to talk. "I'll see that he can leave tomorrow afternoon if his wounds look good, but don't tell him."

"I won't," Stella grinned and emptied her cup. "Are you coming along?"

"No I have some work to do," Alexx shook her head. "And I'm sure that Horatio has already seen enough of me as his doctor," she then added giggling.

"Well he listens to you at least," Stella got up from her chair.

"Years and years of training, Honey. He gave me more grey hairs than my own children," the other woman followed suit and together they left the cafeteria.

Alexx's words were still floating around in her mind, when Stella came closer to Horatio's room. She hadn't lied to the other woman. She really didn't know _what_ they were. They were more than friends. But were they more than friends with benefits? And if they were, then why did they just kiss at home when no one was around? And why was she so shy to give him a kiss in front of others?

She'd been devastated when they'd brought Horatio into the ER and she hadn't known if she'd see him again. But this was normal for a friend, wasn't it? They really needed to talk about this. But first she had to think about it at home.

And since when did she call Horatio's house _home_?

And since when did this feel completely natural?

"And that was the minute we realized that we could still win the game," Kyle babbled happily, when he filled his father in about his weekend activities.

"And did you win?" Horatio asked.

"Yep," he grinned proudly. "It was close but we made it."

"Very good, Son," Horatio wore a grin on his own and was thoroughly enjoying Kyle's stories. Once the nurse had left them alone again, he'd changed into some jogging pants and a dress shirt. Not a perfect combination, but it was real clothes, so he connived that.

"Thanks, Dad; it'd been a great afternoon. And then we, oh hi Stella," he flashed a grin at the woman. "You look so serious, did Alexx scare you?" he asked in a good mood.

"No she didn't," she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes completely. _"She just gave me a lot to think about."_

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Horatio asked worriedly, because he had to agree with his son. She didn't look as happy as when she'd left them.

"I am," she nodded and sat down on the bed. "She just wanted to talk about a few things," she told him and reached for his hand.

"I see," Horatio accepted her explanation and smiled at her. Judging her look correctly, they'd talk about this some time later, when no one else was around. "So you had to tell him about our shopping tour, didn't you?" he changed the subject into something more amusing.

"It just happened," she bashed her eyelashes at him

"If I could only believe that," Horatio huffed in pretence.

"Well you have to I guess," Stella grinned at him innocently and squeezed his hand. "And you enjoyed it as well, just admit it."

"Never. I was just following you from store to store and my arms got longer and longer because of al the bags I had to carry."

"You poor, old man," she drawled and winked at Kyle who couldn't stop laughing.

"Well me being old didn't stop you from treating me as your servant," he pointed out.

"I didn't hear you complain," she shot back.

"If I had had the breath for that, I would have…," he stated seriously, but in the end, couldn't stop himself from joining in the other's laughter. Yes he was doing just fine and he couldn't wait until he was allowed to go home again.

_**tbc**_


	15. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews. I hope you all had a great Christmas and a good time with your loved ones. **

**Chapter 12**

It was way after noon, when Stella stepped onto Horatio's floor on the following day. She'd already talked to Alexx, who had confirmed the fact that Horatio would be released in the afternoon and that the man in action didn't have a clue about that. Afterwards she'd called Kyle who had promised her to stop by at the hospital once his shift was finished. Stella had used a cab to come down to the hospital, because she hadn't been so sure if she'd find the way again and getting lost hadn't sound appealing to her. Now was the time to release Horatio from his misery and she was pretty sure that he would love her news.

Smiling, she nodded at a nurse and was about to open the door, when she noticed that Horatio wasn't alone in his room. Well, glass walls certainly had their advantages. Inside his room, a blond, tall woman was walking up and down and seemed to talk herself into rage.

Interesting.

And somehow she knew this woman, but she couldn't tell where she'd seen her before. It surely wasn't Calleigh and none of Horatio's other colleagues either. So who was she then?

Horatio was just sitting on his bed calmly and seemed to listen to her, or maybe he just appeared like that, Stella couldn't tell for sure. What she knew though was that those two certainly knew each other. There was no way that some stranger could storm into his room and start babbling about something and Horatio wouldn't get her removed immediately. So who the heck was that?

Taking a deep breath, Stella straightened herself and reached for the door handle, when the other woman leaned down close to Horatio's face and let her hand travel down his cheek.

"_Whoa, what's going on there?"_ Stella was wide-eyed.

But the scene continued when Horatio grabbed said hand and shoved it away. Gently, but determined nonetheless.

Stella couldn't help but feel relieved, even though she had no reason for doing so. And she didn't want to analyse her action right now anyway, so she just put on a polite smile and entered the room.

"You know you still do and we both know it," the blond woman whispered in a suggestive tone and turned around when Stella cleared her throat. Giving her a dismissive look, she turned to Horatio again. "We'll talk about this later."

When the woman looked at her directly, she suddenly knew where she'd seen that face before. Kyle's mother, Julia. Now what was this woman doing here? And how did she know about Horatio being in hospital? _"Maybe Kyle told her? But why would he...well...she's his mother and Horatio his father so…"_ She didn't like the fact that Julia knew about it, but she couldn't blame the boy at all. Those were his parents after all. _"What a happy family."_

With one last glare into Horatio's and Stella's direction, Julia exited the room with a dramatic pose.

"Julia?" Stella asked when the drama queen had left and raised one brow at Horatio, who looked rather stoically.

"Mhm…"

"Endearing," Stella snorted and rolled her eyes. "She's got a thing for drama, huh?"

"Well..she's…"

"Petulant?" Stella helped out, which earned her a wry grin.

"Among other things, yes. So…when are you leaving?" It was Wednesday after all and Stella was flying back to New York today. Definitely a reason why his mood was not the best.

"Uh..I just came here and now you want me to leave?" Stella asked innocently. She may have forgotten to tell him that she'd stay a bit longer than she'd planned.

"Well it's not about me wanting you to leave, but reaching your plane?" Horatio was confused and carefully got out of his bed.

"Hmm, I think I have enough time to stay here a bit," she just smiled and watched him walking to the window.

Horatio didn't feel like smiling at all, so he just nodded. First Julia, who'd been ranting about his dangerous job, how this would affect Kyle plus claiming that he was still in love with her (and she really couldn't be farther away from the truth with that) and now there was Stella who was going to leave again. This was not his day.

"In case you want me to stay a little longer," she said and walked up behind him.

"Of course, I just hate the fact that you had to spend your last days in the hospital instead of…the beach or something." And what bugged him even more was that their last two days together had fallen thorough.

"Well then I have quite a few good news for you," she replied and rested her cheek against his good shoulder.

"You do?" he turned his head towards her.

"Yeah, it seems like my flight back was re-scheduled and I won't leave before Sunday."

"Really?" he asked surprised because he hadn't expected that. Hoped, yes, but not expected.

"Mhm and it's getting even better," she murmured.

"Yes?" he turned around fully and reached for her hand.

"Oh yes," she nodded enthusiastically. "A little birdie told me that you'll get released in the afternoon."

"No way."

"I'm telling you and I have my sources."

"Does Alexx know about this?" he asked and then it dawned to him. "Alexx is your source," he exclaimed.

"There might be the chance," she grinned cheekily. "So is that good news?"

"You have no idea," he gave her a huge smile and kissed her hand.

"Very good. And do you know what that means? This means getting cleaned up Mister," she laughed and brushed his cheek. "There's no way I'm going to take you home with a beard."

In contrast to Julia, Horatio didn't stop her from touching his cheek at all. No, he'd actually missed her touch a lot and this made him wondering about the time after she left for New York again. But this was a few days away and he rather wanted to enjoy their time together, then thinking about being apart again. "Well we can't let this happen now, can we?" he asked and winked at her.

"Nope we can't," she agreed and laughed when he rubbed his chin. "I don't want to hear any excuses.,. you're scratchy and this needs to stop."

"Horatio would you please just sit down?" Stella groaned and gave him an icy glare.

"I just wanted to help?" he smiled innocently at her, but lost it when she didn't smile back. "I'm not an invalid."

"But your shoulder is still sore and just because Alexx released you doesn't mean that you're fit."

"But-"

"No buts," she shook her head and pointed to the door. "Get out of the kitchen. Kyle and I have everything under control."

"This is still my house," he huffed but nevertheless left the kitchen as he was told.

"Now I know why every nurse was hitting her head against a wall when she left his room," Kyle commented on his father's antics.

"Maybe they should have hit _his_ head against the wall," Stella sighed and reached for the ingredients for their dinner.

"I don't think that this would have helped," the boy shrugged. "Remember that he hit his head before?"

"True, well then I guess we need to get used to him being annoying every once in a while."

"I think so too," Kyle smiled amused. "I guess he just doesn't like feeling useless."

"And I think you're right about that," Stella agreed. She didn't like it either, but this didn't make it less annoying. But then again, he was also cute when he tried to get his way and failed in doing so.

"Maybe he can help us preparing dinner? Or set the table?"

"I don't know. Alexx said that he shouldn't use his left arm too much; the wound still needs to heal and moving a lot doesn't help."

"But he could set the table with one hand," Kyle pointed out and like every child he just wanted to make his dad feeling better. "I'll ask him, okay?"

"Okay," Stella relented and knew exactly where Kyle's stubbornness was coming from. "But only the table."

"Yes, ma'am," he saluted and vanished. A few moments later he was back again and grinned widely. "I think the problem's been already solved."

"I don't think I understand?" Stella gave him a questioning look and followed him when he motioned her to do so.

"He's fit, right?" the boy whispered in order not to wake up the sleeping man.

"Mhm, perfectly fit," Stella grinned and stepped a bit closer. Horatio was lying on the couch, her birthday present resting on his chest and the man himself deeply asleep. "I had no idea that Edmond Locardwould be such a heavy literature."

"Think again," Kyle grinned when they made their way back to the kitchen. "My dad is the sleeping proof of that."

"Obviously," Stella smiled and didn't mind. This way she didn't have to keep an eye on him. Horatio could be pretty harmless…once he was asleep.

"Do you think he'll have our head in the morning for getting him into bed against his will?" Kyle asked when he and Stella sat down at the kitchen table after they'd cleaned up.

"No, it was obvious that he was tired and he needs the rest." Stella sipped from her cup of tea. Granted, Horatio hadn't been pleased when they'd ordered him into bed after dinner, but it was for the best. And someday...he might admit that to himself as well.

"Well it's definitely a good thing that I'll sleep at home, so you're the first one he's going to see and therefore in the front line of his stubbornness."

"Thank you Kyle, that's really nice of you," Stella pulled a face, but wasn't worried about his reaction in the morning at all. "So, do you think his wound needs to be taken care of in the morning?"

"I don't know," the boy shrugged, "but I guess it will be enough at noon, or something. I'm not an expert; why do you ask?"

"Because you looked like an expert when you treated his wound earlier," Stella smiled at him. It had been a sight to behold when Horatio had been grumbling around and Kyle had acted like a male nurse.

"Thanks," he smiled shyly and averted his eyes. "I'm enjoying that…I mean.. I don't like that it's my dad's wound, but I like treating people like this."

"Yeah?" Stella raised her brows.

"Yes..I..mhm…I'm..thinking about…well it's actually it's a stupid idea."

"What's a stupid idea?" she asked intrigued.

"Well you know, I find the work at the morgue really interesting. Dr. Price told me a lot about organs, muscles and bones. She also told me something about diseases…but I don't want to be in the morgue for my whole life. I want to help other people," he sighed and then quickly continued before Stella could add something. "I know that you and my dad are helping people, but they're already dead."

"This is true, in a way," Stella nodded. "But we also help the victims' families by finding the murderer. So we do help living people, but in a different way of course."

"I've never seen in that way," the boy thought out loud. What Stella said did make sense. "Well I was thinking about…training for becoming a paramedic."

"I think that's a wonderful idea. Paramedic…male nurse at a hospital or maybe even a doctor?"

"No," he shook his head, "I'm not smart enough to be a doctor."

"I think you're smarter than you think you are," Stella stated seriously.

"Don't know..," he shrugged. "But I don't want to spend years at University and then there's my prison detention. That's never good for a doctor I think."

The boy was probably right about that. "So a paramedic then, yes? I think that's great."

"Really?" he asked, his eyes shining. "I already asked Alexx and she gave me some information about the where's and how's."

"That's wonderful. What does your dad say about your plans?"

"He..uhm..doesn't know about them?"

"Oh?" she asked surprised. "May I ask why?"

"He's probably disappointed." And in a sudden the shining was gone again.

"But why should he be disappointed in your choice? Being a paramedic is a very honourable job."

"I don't know, he probably wants me to become a police officer as well."

Now this was something Stella highly doubted. "I don't think so, Kyle," she shook her head and drank her tea. "What I think is that your dad will be proud of you no matter what job interests you, as long as it's legal," she giggled. "But seriously, I highly doubt that your dad wants you to become a police officer. On the contrary, I think he'd be happy if you didn't become one."

"Do you really think so?" he furrowed his brows.

"Yes. Your dad knows that this is a very dangerous job and since he wants to protect you, he wouldn't want you to enter this carrier field."

"He can be a bit overprotective, yes," Kyle admitted.

"Your dad would support you no matter what; he'd be proud of you if you become a police officer or a paramedic. He'd be proud of you if you become a professional basketball player…as long as it's your dream and you're working hard to achieve it. He wants _you_ to be happy, that's all that matters to him."

It had been a while since he'd heard such words. Probably because his mother was more or less engrossed in her own problems and he was still timid about talking about such things with his father. "Thank you Stella," he said gratefully.

"No, thank you Kyle." It touched her deeply that the boy was so open to her. His trust was actually overwhelming in a good way. "Just promise me that you'll tell him someday, okay?"

"I will," he nodded strongly. He just needed to find the perfect moment.

"Good," she smiled and got up from her chair to get another cup of tea. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No thanks, I still have some," he shook his head and played around with his glass. "Stella, can I ask you a personal question?" he suddenly asked and caught her on the wrong foot.

"_Oh my, how many interrogations do have I to go through?"_ she groaned to herself. It seemed like whole Miami existed of interrogators. "Yes you can, but I can't promise you an answer."

That was fair enough. "Do you like my dad?"

It was certainly a good thing that she was sitting again and that her cup was waiting on the table for her. "Yes, I like your dad a lot," she answered him honestly and hoped that he wouldn't go further into it. "Why are you asking?"

"Well you know, I always wanted my mom and my dad to be together again. So we can be a real family."

This made sense, but what did that have to do with her? Was this his way of saying 'hands off'? "Okay?"

"And it actually took me some time to see that this probably will never happen. I mean...my parents are always arguing. They argue about my mom's way of life, about my dad's job, about me…name something and they have a different opinion about it." They were a rather dysfunctional family, if one at all. "And then you appeared and you two argue as well, but only in a teasing way…and I liked that. Granted, I don't have that many experiences of real relationships between adults, but…well...what I want to say is just that if it's not my mom at my dad's side, then I wouldn't mind seeing you there."

There he had said it! Now he just wondered what Stella would say to this. Would she laugh? Would she be angry? Or judging by the colour of her face, maybe having a heart attack? Uh that wouldn't be good; his dad would never forgive him that. "Uh..Stella?" he asked timidly when there came no reply except of the deer-in-headlights-impression.

Well Stella wasn't close to a heart attack, but shocked nevertheless. This was the second person asking her (more or less) about her relationship with Horatio and both times it wasn't the man himself. Oh my… talk about being nosy and overprotective. "I…" She had no idea what to say to this. It was utterly cute that Kyle was giving her permission to enter a relationship with his dad, but did she actually want that? And what was also important, did Horatio want it? "I don't know what to say actually," she mumbled.

"Oh that's fine," Kyle replied cheerfully. "I just wanted you to know and I didn't expect an answer from you. It's none of my business anyway."

"_Well a little too late for that kind of insight, isn't it?"_ she thought, but shook her head mentally. It must have been difficult for him to say it out loud and to somehow bury his hope of a perfect, little family, so there was no way to lash out just because she and Horatio were shilly-shally. "That's fine, Kyle," she patted his hand in the end. "Thanks for telling me and you know, I like you too."

Grinning, he nodded and looked at his watch. "And now it's time for me to get home. Thank you for dinner, it's been great. And don't listen to dad's grumbling, he actually likes being cared for, he just doesn't want to admit it."

"I'll keep that in mind," she smiled and saw him to the door. "Sleep well."

"You too," he waved and climbed into his car.

Once he was out of view, Stella closed the door behind her and got all the lights. "This family is definitely one of a kind," she mumbled to herself when she changed clothes in the guest room. Then she made her way to Horatio's bedroom to check on him. She carefully opened the door, slipped in and watched him from the doorway.

What was keeping her from slipping into bed with him? What made her think that she had a right to do that? Would he mind if she decided to sleep here? Would he be upset if she didn't?

"Stop standing there and get into bed," came a mumbling voice, which made her jump.

Well, she definitely had an answer now. Smiling she closed the door and quickly made her way into bed. "I thought you'd be asleep," she whispered and snuggled closer to him.

"You were thinking too loudly," he replied and didn't even open his eyes.

"Sorry," she whispered back and caressed his face.

"Don't be," he sighed which soon turned into a yawn. "Alexx drugged me."

"Drugged you, huh?" she asked amused. "Good drugs I hope?"

"No….make me sleepy," he mumbled sleepily.

"Then I think you need to talk to her, because that's just not right," she giggled and wrapped her arm around him.

"I missed that…."

If he could be honest, she could be as well. "Me too…" Those two nights apart hadn't been good for her. She'd missed his warm presence next to her.

"Night Stella…"

"Good night, Horatio," she whispered, but Horatio was already asleep again. "Sleep tight," she pressed a kiss on his forehead and then closed her eyes as well.

It didn't surprise her the next morning that sleep had come easily with him by her side.

_**tbc**_


	16. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews. So this is the last chapter for this year (lol) and I hope you like it. It's time for the talk between Horatio and Stella, let's see how it turns out. Hope you all have a great start into the New Year. Have fun and take care. **

**Chapter 13**

For almost ten years, Friday had always been the day when Rosa Fuentes was working in her most favourite employer's house. Ten years ago she had answered on an application for a job as a cleaner and that's how she'd met Horatio Caine. From the moment she'd met him, Rosa had known that he was an honest, friendly and charming man and never in the ten years had she regretted that she'd started to work for him.

She knew that Señor Caine was a hard working man, with lots of responsibilities and this impressed her a lot. She'd worked for others, who had done nothing in their lives except of marrying the right (and most of all rich) person and those were the once she highly despised. They often treated her like a servant, which she surely wasn't and didn't respect her at all. Since Señor Caine had had to work for his money as well, he never treated her like this and this made her like him even more.

Over the years she'd become quite attached to the man in a motherly way and so it happened every once in a while that she left him some home cooked meal behind. Heaven only knew when this man had time to eat anyway! What he really needed was a woman in his life, a strong willed one of course, and for some time now, Rosa had played with the idea to introduce him to her eldest daughter Maria. Her daughter was a beautiful young woman, just like his late wife Marisol.

When she'd heard about her death, Rosa had been really sad for her boss. She'd been such a lovely lady and her sudden death had changed Señor Caine a lot. He'd worked even more (though she hadn't thought that this was actually possible) and the smiles had vanished from his face. Yes, it was really time for him to find another woman.

Just like always, she went up the stairs for the second floor and sung to herself. She would always start with the master bed-and bathroom. Since Señor Caine always left the house before 8 o'clock, she didn't have to fear to wake him up by accident. Her boss was too much of a creature of habit to sleep in late, especially on a normal working day. So without knocking, she cheerfully opened the bedroom and stopped dead in her tracks. "Dios mío!"

Like a streak of lighting, Horatio and Stella jerked away from each other.

"Oh Señor Caine. Lo siento, I'm so sorry," she apologized immediately and was deeply embarrassed. Catching your boss in bed with a woman, kissing, wasn't something she particularly enjoyed. So without thinking, she left the room and closed the door behind her. Maybe she should start with the first floor today.

Stella couldn't stop laughing. "Oh my god..," she rolled onto her back and laughed even harder when she saw Horatio's face. "I take it you didn't tell your cleaner that you're on sick leave?"

"No, this must have slipped me," he groaned and sat up. Now this was embarrassing.

"Well at least she caught us early enough, I don't want to think about if she had-"

"Stella!" he groaned even harder. "We don't even want to think of _that _possibility, yes?"

"I told you before that we shouldn't do that while your shoulder is still sore," she chided him. "That was the revenge."

"Haha, very funny. I didn't hear you complaining?" he shot back and reached for his bathrobe.

"Oh.. I had no intention to do that," she just smiled sweetly at him. "So what are you going to do?"

"I think it's time to give Rosa a raise," he deadpanned and only rolled his eyes, when Stella started to laugh again. "We probably gave her the shock of her life," he explained, but in the end he just gave up. Of course Stella found this amusing; it wasn't _her_ cleaner in the end who'd seen her making out. At least they'd been dressed…well...more or less anyway.

Downstairs, Rosa was busy cleaning the living room, her cheeks still red from embarrassment. She could only hope that Señor Caine wouldn't fire her, because of her faux pas. She really needed to knock next time, though she doubted that those two would have heard that anyway. And she should stop thinking about it; this was none of her business. Though a small part of her was pretty happy for her boss since he'd found another woman. But her embarrassment and fear for her job occupied a bigger part in her mind right now.

"Rosa?" Horatio appeared in the living room and gave her an apologetic smile.

"Oh Señor Caine, Lo siento…lo siento.. I'm so sorry. No tengo un idea, I had no idea that you.."

"Rosa, Rosa it's alright. It's me who has to apologize," he tried to calm the upset woman. "I should have told you that I'm on sick leave and...that I'm not alone.."

"Eso es embarázoso, this is so embrassaing…"

"Not only for you," he gave her a half smile. "But maybe you should start with this floor today so we can get ready upstairs?" he chuckled.

Giving him a small smile, she nodded. "Si Señor Caine. This is a good idea."

"Good, then I won't interrupt you any longer and leave you alone. I'll see you later, Rosa."

"Si Señor Caine, adios." Well at least he hadn't fired her. But she would clean this house like she'd never done before just to be sure.

Upstairs, Stella had just emerged from the shower, when Horatio entered the bedroom again. "Is everything alright with Rosa?" she asked and towelled her hair.

"Yes, she's just embarrassed by interrupting us, but otherwise she's fine," he nodded and captured her from behind.

"No, no stop this," she shrieked when he rubbed his stubbles against her shoulder. "Have you forgotten that _this _had led us into this embarrassing situation in the first place?"

"Spoilsport," he nipped her neck and let out an "Ouch" when her elbow connected gently with his stomach.

"Don't start what you can't finish," she told him sternly. "And we won't finish this because sooner or later Rosa will appear again."

"Okay, okay," he let go of her. "So what are we doing today?" he asked when he sat down on the bed and watched her getting dressed.

"I don't know, you could read a bit in the garden?" she suggested.

"Oh no, no way. We need to get out of the house." Seeing her look, he shook his head. "I mean it Stella. I'm sick of being imprisoned, first in the hospital and now in my own house. I need to see something else or I'll go insane."

"You're such a drama queen," she sassed and folded her arms. "So where would you want to go?"

"The beach."

"The beach? Horatio, there's no way that you can go into the water with your wound. It's not fully healed and you still have stitches." This man could be too stubborn for his own good.

"Well I didn't say anything about swimming in the water, but I need to get out of here. Listen Stella, the beach is just a few meters away, so what harm could be done?"

"Except of sand in your wound? Or the fact that I'll find you in the water sooner or later?" she challenged him.

"And if I promise you that I'll wear a t-shirt the whole time and won't be near the water?" he put on his best puppy face. He would wear a t-shirt anyway because of his scars and that he'd look like a lobster in seconds, but she didn't need to know that.

"Don't give me that look."

"Why, is it working?" he drawled.

"Yes and you know it," she hissed and threw her hands up in surrender. "Okay, we'll go to the beach, but I warn you Mister. If I find you in the water, I'll call Alexx and then you have to answer her and I promise you that this won't be pretty."

True to his words, Horatio hadn't come near the water for the whole day; not even when Stella had jumped into the water and had given any mermaid a run for their money. No, he had stayed on his beach lounger and had just enjoyed the view.

Just like now.

It was certainly a good thing that he was wearing his sunglasses, so she had no idea that he was running his eyes all over her body. And what a glorious body it was. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her like this, but now he had the opportunity to watch her openly. And what a sight she was!

She was well trained, slim, but not too thin. Her olive bikini fitted her just fine and he had to fight the light urge to just walk over to her and free her from the spare clothing.

Had he said that she looked utterly good like this?

Well nothing would compare to the feeling of touching her glorious body with his hands. To hear her soft sighs of pleasure when he kissed her neck or the way her whole body trembled after a round of love making.

All of this would be burned into his memory for forever.

But now he needed some cool water to get himself under control again because one embarrassing situation was enough for one day. And he was sure that Stella would tease him endlessly if he couldn't keep calm.

But damn that woman made it hard for him to stay calm.

"_Oh great Caine, just the right choice of words. Now get a grip and act as if you've been thinking about budget meetings." _ Taking a deep breath, he flashed her a smile and held out a towel for her.

"Thanks," she smiled and reached for the towel easily. "It's really a shame that you can't get into the water."

"Aww thanks, wasn't it you who threatened me with Alexx?" he countered. "Yes, I think it was you."

Stella's smile just grew larger. "And I was correct about that." She wouldn't allow him to get his wound infected. "So did you come any further with your book?" she asked and nodded at the book in his lap.

"_Nope, I was busy watching one special woman," _he thought, but didn't say it out loud. "No, not really. I just let my mind wander for a bit.."

"Ah," Stella said and reached for the sun cream. "Interesting thoughts?"

"_Alluring ones for sure."_ "Nothing in particular. Need some help with that?"

"Yes, once I'm finished with the rest," she smiled and put on some lotion. "So was the beach one reason why you bought the house?"

"Actually, yes. I've always loved the beach in general and the sea in particular so when I found this house, I knew I had to have it. It's very soothing after a long day at work."

"I bet," she agreed and flashed him a smile. "And it's certainly nice for midnight walks, huh?"

"Do I sense a hidden proposal in there?" he raised one brow in question and chuckled.

"Maybe, but why don't you surprise me?" she teased back and thrust the sun cream into his hands. "Now it's your turn."

"Then come here," he ordered her and spread his legs a bit, so she could sit down between them. "Do you miss New York?" he asked her softly and gently massaged her shoulders.

"A bit," she sighed contently, "but I do feel at home here."

Smiling at that, he kissed her neck tenderly. "I'm happy and proud to hear that."

"Your team is really nice and I'm getting along with Kyle quite well."

"Yes, this surprised me as well…in a good way of course, but it still surprised me," Horatio agreed. It was a very good sign that Kyle and Stella seemed to get along so well. The boy had never seemed to be jealous of her and the time she was spending with him instead of Kyle himself, so yes, it really was a good sign. "And my team? Oh well they're pretty open.."

"And funny," she added. "And not very secretive when it comes to relationships so it seems."

"Ha, yes, I told you it was easy to see that they're a couple even though they tried to hide it," Horatio snorted.

"_And what about us, Horatio? Do we hide it as well? From ourselves?"_ They still hadn't talked about _them_ and time was running short. "Yes they were pretty obvious, but maybe they've just given up their hide and seek."

"Maybe, but I don't mind, as long as they're happy," he put the sun cream away and just continued to rub her back.

"Didn't you tell me that there are regulations in the department against relationships between colleagues?"

"Yes, I did. But I'm currently working something out with the Chief to get this ridiculous rule banished. Just because some people won't find their significant other, doesn't mean that others should suffer because of that."

"Well from my own experiences it doesn't harm the team spirit if there's the one or other couple among them. I mean Danny and Lindsay are still arguing about a case just like they'd done before. And our homicide detectives, Don Flack and Jessica Angel are in a relationship as well…"

"Well you certainly have more human IAB agents, that's for sure," he snorted. "But I won't let this continue. No matter what they say about it."

Leaning back, she snuggled closer to him and rested her cheeks against his good shoulder. "I'm sure you'll work something out," she mumbled and reached for his hand.

"I hope so," he chuckled. "If Alexx would still be here, she'd be on a warpath." Not that she had anything to say in this, but Stetler would be up for the high jump. "Talking about Alexx, you still haven't told me what happened in the hospital between you two?" he asked curiously.

"You know how women are, she was just curious about some tings…"

"What kind of things?" he asked interested. "You looked so serious afterwards; I hope she didn't upset you in any way?"

"Oh..no no, she just made me think about some things and..well..yeah…," she trailed of, not knowing what to say or how to say it.

"Stella, if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay," he reminded her softly. "I just wanted to make sure if she did upset you. That's all."

"_Well we need to talk about it. And now I don't even have to find a start, but just tell him what the conversation was about. Darn, since when are you such a coward, Bonasera?" _she berated herself. "She asked what we are."

"What we are?" he replied blankly.

Men! "Yes, what we are. Are we friends? More than friends? Friends with benefits? A couple? That's what she wanted to know."

Now this sounded like Alexx for sure. "Oh."

"Yes, oh."

"And what did you tell her?" he asked carefully.

"That I don't know what we are," she told him honestly.

"I see," he mumbled and gave her a worried look when she got up a bit and turned around to face him. "Stella?"

Reaching for his sunglasses she removed them. There was no way that he was hiding behind them during this conversation. "She also told me that we need to talk about this and I think she's right about that."

Blinking, Horatio needed a few moments to adjust to the light. "Okay," he nodded slowly. "Then we talk." This was certainly not how he had planned their day at the beach, but in the end this conversation had to be done.

"Then I'm asking you…what are we Horatio?" she asked him softly without the slightest sign of accusation.

This was a very good question; one that he had racked his brains over for some time now, probably even before Stella had arrived in Miami. "I'm not completely sure," he answered slowly. "I mean, we are definitely more than friends," he stated and at her nod he continued. "But we're not a couple either. But we're also no friends with benefits, because I think that there are too many emotions floating around. I can't really determine what kind of emotions, but not the ones of casual lovers."

She hadn't expected a concrete answer, so this was actually more than she could have hoped for. "I was asked if I liked you and I told the person, yes I do…a lot," she told him.

"It seems to me that we two have been on the rumour mill agenda," he pulled a face, but then became serious again. "I also like you a lot Stella," he said and stroked her cheek. "Maybe even more than just 'like you', I'm not so sure about this yet. I feel like I'm…falling for you...you know?" he asked but could keep the eye contact at that. "But then again, we both know that you'll leave in two days and that's just not enough for me."

Stella had never been an overly, emotional woman who was crying about everything, but hearing this gave her quite a hard time to keep the tears in check. The fact that he was so shy and couldn't even look her in the eyes didn't make it any better for her. He was a very private person, especially when it came to his emotions and after all he'd been through in his life, especially losing a wife, it must be incredibly difficult for him to open up this way.

So instead of making him look at her, she just leaned closer again and nuzzled his neck. "I think I feel the same Horatio." Her emotions concerning Horatio still confused her, but more than once she had wanted to call him by some pet name and most of all hers.

"But the distance..," he trailed off.

"As I said all those months ago, I hate the fact that we live in two different cities," she answered his unspoken question.

Nodding, he totally agreed with that. "So we…are friends who are more than friends and who have shared wonderful moments with each other?"

As sad as it sounded, this was the only thing they be could right now. "Yes, I think we should do that. We should enjoy our last days here in Miami and I hope that I'll have a home here when we see each other again."

"Stella, you made my house a home again, so don't ever fear that you won't be welcome here," he said matter of factly.

"It is home, Horatio. Even for me. I think I've used the word here more often than in New York. You didn't just give me a place to stay, you gave me a home. I'm not sure if you intended that or even realized it, but you did."

Horatio didn't reply to that. He just wrapped his arms around her and inhaled her salty smell. He really wished that he was able to stop time, so that they could stay like this forever, but he knew they wouldn't and so he promised himself that they'd enjoy their time to its fullest. This was after all the least they could do.

_**tbc**_


	17. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews. Well what can I say? It surely wasn't an easy decision for both Horatio and Stella to continue as friends; especially when there are a lot of emotions involved.**

**Sadly but true, the story is almost completed (not yet, don't worry) but there are only three more chapters (this one included). **

**Chapter 14**

Sitting here again felt like a déjà-vu. But this time it was certainly more difficult. Looking down at his feet, Horatio tried his best to ignore the departure board above them. It would only make him realize how little time they would have together.

The last two days had been amazing and he would forever cherish them in his heart. They had spend more or less every minute together; they had gone into the city, had taken a walk by the beach at night…they had cooked together and even Kyle had come over a few hours. Yes, these had been two blessed days and knowing that this would stop now, wasn't something he was particularly looking forward to.

Feeling a tug at his hand, he looked up questioningly. "Hm?"

"Why is it that airports always have some sad meaning for us?" Stella smiled softly at him.

He knew that she didn't need an answer because she already had it. So he just opened his arm a bit and let her snuggle a little closer. "Tell me why I don't lift you over my shoulder and carry you back home?" he chuckled lightly.

"Because you probably can't lift me and we both have a sense of duty," she sighed back.

"I wouldn't be too sure about the first one, but I do agree with the latter." Though he couldn't help but be seriously tempted to throw caution in the wind and forget all about work.

"And we had even more days together than it was originally planned."

"That we did."

"But still not enough."

"No, not enough," he agreed. There would never be enough. "So for when have you planned your next vacation?" he asked half-heartedly.

"I wish I knew. Mac sounded a bit stressed when we talked yesterday; seems like New York has some nutcases again."

Well this didn't sound really appealing for him at all.

"What about you?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "But not in the near future. The chief will have my head if I'm on sick leave and soon afterwards decide to have some long vacation." There were some real disadvantages being the head of a Crime Lab and being supervisor of one of the best teams in the U.S. – taking some vacation was a rare thing.

Nodding, she buried her face in his neck. At least they had some more minutes together because Horatio had used his badge to enter the boarding area. Otherwise they would have needed to say goodbye a lot earlier.

"Can't you take a later flight?" he asked hopefully.

"And let Mac wait for hours at the airport?"

"Yeah?" he replied easily and grinned when she nudged him gently. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Easy for you to say; you don't have to work with a cranky marine afterwards."

"True," he acknowledged. "But I still like the idea."

"Me too." And yet she needed to go back to New York. Getting up from her seat, she let go of him. Slowly she walked to the large windows and stopped in front of them. Her plane was already waiting and she knew it would only be a matter of time until the boarding would start.

"You know I could ask Alexx to write you a certificate of illness," he told her from his seat and smiled when she gave him a look. "Hey, I'm sure she'd do that for us," he just shrugged and got up as well.

"I'm sure this wouldn't look suspicious at all."

"Of course not," he chuckled. "That's pure coincidence."

"Mhm, of course it is," she mumbled and leaned against his chest when he stopped behind her. "I don't want to leave."

"I don't want you to leave either."

They both turned their heads towards the boarding desk when they heard the announcement. "I guess fate is against us."

"Yeah," he mumbled and turned her around. Resting his forehead against hers, he just closed his eyes and relished the feeling of her closeness. "I will miss you…more than I can say," he whispered.

"I'll miss you too," she whispered back and stroked his cheeks.

Saying goodbye had never felt this hard for him. "Don't leave me, Stella."

She could literally feel her heart breaking at those words. "I have to…we both know that," she replied brokenly and before he could say something else, she kissed him.

Nothing around them existed at this moment. Not the curious stares of the passengers walking past them, the loudspeaker announcements or the waiting glances of the cabin crew. There were only them.

When they broke the kiss, both were gasping for breath. Biting his lower lip, Horatio reached for her hands and entwined them with his. Taking a deep breath, he mustered all of his courage and looked at her. "I do love you, Stella. I know that…I told you that I might be falling for you when we were at the beach...but the truth is I do love you."

Closing her eyes, Stella lowered her head and took a deep breath. Life was incredible unfair and right now she hated it with every fibre of her being.

"I probably shouldn't have told you..," Horatio said softly when there was no reply from her. "But I wanted you to-"

Stella just pressed two fingers against his lips and shook her head. "Never apologize for telling me this, Horatio," she told him. "Especially not when I'm feeling the same way."

"Ma'am? We're sorry to interrupt you, but the boarding has ended and we need you to come aboard as well," one of the crew, gently called.

Turning her head towards the woman, Stella nodded at her and then focused on Horatio again. "I'm not one who trusts in fate, but I think we have to this time. We had Boston, we had Miami; all good things come in threes. We just have to trust in that."

Did he like it? No, he didn't. But could he change it in any way? No, he couldn't. So Horatio just nodded at that.

"Promise me to have a home here for forever?"

"I promise," he told her. "Promise me to give me a call once you're back in New York?"

"I promise," she nodded and kissed him again. "And now it's time," she sighed and gave him one last hug.

"We'll meet again Stella; sooner or later we _will_ meet again," he told her seriously and then let her go. He watched her as long as he could and even when she turned around a corner, he remained rooted to the spot.

"We will meet again, Stella Bonasera," he said to himself, put on his sunglasses and turned around to go. He would drive back home, no _not home_. He would drive back to his _house_.

Without her in it, it wasn't home any longer.

Three weeks later, Kyle entered his father's house and walked straight upstairs. There was no need to look around in the first floor, because he just _knew_ that his father wouldn't be there. No, he was pretty sure that his father was hiding himself in his home office again and this had to stop.

Ever since Stella had gone back to New York, his father had cocooned himself into work, both at the lab and at home. This hadn't gone unnoticed by the team and after a few days they had informed Alexx about this fact. It had only been a week after the shooting after all and his shoulder and head surely needed more time to heal. So Alexx had given him some tongue lashing which had resulted into the fact that he'd stayed at home over the weekend. On Monday though, things had begun like they had ended on Friday and it didn't look like this would change soon.

Well that's what Kyle was here for now.

Walking down the hallway, he stopped at the door and opened it quietly. Just like he had expected, his dad was brooding over some case files. Taking a deep breath he knocked on the doorframe and stepped in. "Hey, Dad."

Looking up from his work, Horatio gave him a startled, "Oh hey, Kyle. I didn't hear you coming."

Now this didn't surprise him at all. For some time now, his father was somewhere else with his thoughts and Kyle had a pretty good idea where they exactly were and with whom. "Whatcha doing?"

"Oh, just some work," Horatio shrugged and looked at his watch. "No date tonight?"

"Nope, at least not with a girl," the boy replied cheekily and sat down on the edge of the desk.

Not getting the hint, Horatio looked a little nonplussed. "Kyle? Is there something you want to talk about?"

"Oh Daaaad, come on," he whined. How could he think that? "I'm not having a date with a guy either," he said and quickly added an "and never will be" just to make sure. "I thought I'd stop by and we can get some pizza."

"Already raided your fridge again, Son?" Horatio tried to ask amused but it only worked partially.

"Maybe, but I wanted to spend some time with you."

"It's Saturday evening and you want to spend some time with your old dad?"

"It's Saturday evening and you want to spend it with boring paperwork?" the boy shot back and arched his brows.

"Hmm," Horatio mumbled and looked at the files in front of him. "Well there are things that need to be done and I have the time." Oh yes, he really had time, more than enough; more than he actually wanted to.

"Well yes, but now I'm here, so these have to wait," Kyle said and tapped on the files.

Knowing that Kyle wouldn't let him continue with his work, Horatio nodded and snapped them shut. "Okay, so pizza?"

"Yep, pizza. We haven't had that since our dinner with Stella."

Stella. Her name alone made him sigh inwardly. "Yes, right," he nodded and got up from his chair. Missing her was one of the reasons why he was working so much; this and feeling alone in his house. "Then let's go," he said and left the room.

Watching him leave, Kyle quickly jumped from the desk and followed his dad. "You miss her."

For a short moment, Horatio stopped dead in his tracks. Others might have not noticed it, but Kyle had. Then he continued walking again. Without turning around he answered, "I do."

"When have you last talked to her?"

"A few days ago."

"Why not today?" the boy asked intrigued and hurried down the stairs.

Reaching for his phone, Horatio looked at him. "Because hearing her voice and not seeing her face is…difficult." With that he typed in the number of the take out restaurant. "The usual?"

Kyle just nodded in agreement and waited until the call was over. There was no way that he would let his dad change the subject. He had suspected that Horatio's behaviour had something to do with Stella's leaving, but now he had the confession of his dad. "Well…you could skype..for example," he tried to find a solution.

"No.. that's not the same," Horatio shook his head and wandered into the kitchen. "And it won't change the fact that she isn't here."

"True," Kyle admitted. "So…what are your plans then?" he asked and accepted a soda.

"My plans?" Horatio asked confused.

"Well…your personal ones or yours and Stella's," Kyle shrugged. "Maybe they are the same?" he smiled.

"There are no plans, Kyle," Horatio answered. He really didn't want to talk about this right now or any time soon.

"No plans? At all?" Kyle asked stunned. Now this was a real surprise.

Closing the drawer a bit more forceful than needed, Horatio gritted his teeth. Did everyone have to be so curious about his life? First his team, then Alexx and now his son. "No, Kyle. No plans at all, okay?"

Noticing the tone, Kyle cringed inwardly. He had certainly hit a spot there. The fact that his dad didn't turn towards him, but just showed him his back, underlined this as well. Taking a deep breath, he put down his soda and bridged the few steps between them. "I'm sorry Dad. I shouldn't put my nose into other people's business. I just thought that…you know…you two probably…," he trailed off, because he wasn't sure what exactly he had been thinking; he just knew that it had been something different than that his dad would never see Stella again.

Horatio dropped his shoulders and shook his head. "It's okay, Kyle. I know you're quite taken with Stella."

"I'm not the only one, am I?" the boy smiled shyly.

"No. No you aren't," Horatio turned around. "She's a very special lady." And so much more than that.

Hearing the wistful longing in his father's voice, Kyle couldn't stop himself from asking this one important question. "Do you love her, Dad?"

He had admitted it to himself and to Stella. He could also admit it to his son. "I do."

"But then why didn't you make any plans? She will come back, right?" If his dad loved her, and Kyle was pretty sure that Stella loved his dad as well, then why wouldn't they want to be together?

"It's not that easy, Kyle," Horatio sighed. When it came to women, it had never been easy for him. "We live in two different cities, we both love our jobs-"

"But loving your job is not the same as loving a person," Kyle stated. "And living in two different cities can be changed as well."

"It's not that simple, Son."

"Love _is_ simple, Dad. But sometimes you have to work a little harder for it. Sometimes it is a challenge, yes," he conceded, "but have you ever shied away from one?"

"But this is not only about me, but about Stella and her life as well," Horatio argued back.

"And have you ever thought that she's probably just waiting for some kind of reaction from you?" Kyle didn't back down. He was sick and tired of seeing his dad hurting. He wanted to see him happy again.

"And what makes you-," he started and threw his arms up in annoyance when the door bell rang. "Be right back," he mumbled and left the room.

When he came back a few moments later, Kyle had already set the table for them and was waiting for him with an unreadable face. Opening his mouth, Horatio wanted to ask what was going on, but didn't even have the chance to do so.

"You're going to sit down," Kyle told him and pointed at the seat. "And then we're going to make a plan to get you out of this mess. You've helped me more times than I can count and now it's time that I repay that."

"Kyle you don't-"

"Just sit down Dad and listen to me for a change." He was in charge now and his father would listen to him, no matter if he wanted to or not.

_**tbc**_


	18. Chapter 15

**A/N: So what did Kyle tell his dad? And will Horatio listen to him? ****And how is Stella coping anyway? You're going to find out in this chapter. Thank you all for your reviews. **

**Chapter 15**

"Hey Stella are you okay?" Adam Ross asked his colleague and gave her a worried glance. Since she'd come back from her vacation, she hadn't been the same as before. At first he'd thought that she was still angry with Mac because he had actually forced her to take this vacation, but after 5 weeks, he seriously doubted that. No one was this resentful.

"I'm sorry Adam, what did you say?" Stella looked up from her file.

And did he mention that she always seemed to be far away? Well she was. Normally, Stella was always attentive but now it happened with increased regularity that she didn't listen and that you had to repeat yourself. Just like now. "I just asked if you're okay?"

"Oh, yes," she gave him a smile to reassure him, but it didn't really work. "I'm sorry, I was miles away." Literally. "But yes I'm okay, thank you."

Giving her a worried smile, Adam knew that he couldn't force her to tell him what was wrong with her. They were just friends and nothing more, though he had to admit that he'd always had a crush on her. And how could he not? Stella was a beautiful woman and she always had an open ear for everyone. "Well, if you need me then you know where you can find me."

"Yes, I know, thanks Adam," she squeezed his arm. "But now I need to talk to Mac about the case. Do you know where he is?"

"I think he was in Trace when I last saw him." Maybe he should talk to Mac about this. But then again, Mac wasn't always such an easy person when it came to personal things.

"I'm sure I'll hunt him down sooner or later," she waved at him and then left the room.

Well even if Mac was a bit weird about personal things, he would talk to him, Adam vowed to himself. Stella was too important for him to just stand there and do nothing.

"Hey Mac," Stella called when she found him leaving the trace lab. "I have some good news," she waved the case file.

"Really? I love good news," he grinned and opened the door for her again. "Care to fill me in?"

"For once," she smiled back. "We've found some DNA on the victim's trouser and even better, we've found a match in the system."

"That's like Easter and Christmas on one day," he joked and had a quick look on the results. "That's great."

"Yeah, I just wanted to show them to you before I call Flack and let him arrest our suspect."

"Good, you do that. But before that," he stopped her by grabbing her arm, "there are some things we need to talk about."

"There are?" she gave him a questioning look and had no idea what he was talking about.

"Yes there are," he nodded. "You know, when I told you to take a vacation, I thought that you'd be more relaxed and less stressed when you come back. But what I see now, is certainly not a relaxed woman. No, what I see is a woman, who's working too much and too long and who hasn't given me a real smile for like...forever actually," he arched his brows.

"Mac, this isn't really the place to talk about this."

"Well since you practically sleep in the lab, I can't approach you at home, now can I?"

"It's not really a home anyway," she mumbled to herself and bit her lip.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly. "Can I call Flack now?" she tried to change the subject.

"Nope, we haven't talked about what's going on with you yet," he shook his head sternly. "So tell me Stella, what happened in Miami?"

"Nothing."

"You can fool yourself, but you can't fool me. Now try again please." When she didn't say anything, he sighed and tried again. "I'm asking you as a friend, Stella. You're important to me and I want to help you."

"You can't help me, Mac. I wish you could, but you can't. I don't even know if I can help myself."

Hearing the despair in her voice, he drew her a bit closer. "What happened between you and Horatio?"

Looking down, she took a deep breath before she answered his question. "We fell in love."

Somehow he'd known all along. He had probably known it before both of them did. Still it was a weird feeling to hear those words out loud. "And he knows that you're in love with him?"

"Yes he does and he told me the same, so yes...we both know about the other's feelings."

"And you miss him?"

"Of course I do, Mac," she gave him an icy glare.

If he wanted to leave this lab alive, he really had to select his questions more carefully; or his words in general. "I'm sorry, this was a stupid question. When was the last time you talked to each other?"

"It's been a while," she sighed deeply. "At first we talked every day, but it became less and less…"

Unknown to them, a visitor stepped out of the lift and was almost immediately approached by Danny. "Now this is a nice surprise. What makes you come to New York?"

Shaking Danny's hand, Horatio just smiled. "A private matter actually. Do you know where I can find Stella or Mac?"

"Stella or Mac? Yes, I think I saw her heading to the Trace Lab," Danny nodded. "It's the last lab down the hall. No way you can miss it."

"Thanks, Danny. Oh and by the way, congratulations. I know it's a little late, but-"

"Ha, don't worry about it Lieutenant. It's not like we see each other every day," Danny just waved him off.

"I hope I can also congratulate the mother," Horatio smiled gently in response.

"Oh, I'll call her if I need to," Danny shrugged easily. "We'll make it happen, that's for sure."

"That sounds good, thanks Danny. Now I'll see if I can find my reason of being here. Talk to you later."

"Yes, later," Danny called after him and smiled. He really wanted to know why Horatio was here, but he couldn't think of any reason. "Well, you're a CSI Messer and you'll find it out, sooner or later," he said to himself and was about enter the lift, when he heard Adam's voce.

"Sir, hey…Sir…Mister…you can't just walk around here in the lab."

Sometimes, Adam Ross was just too overeager. "Adam," he called and walked towards him. "It's okay."

"But he-" the other man started to babble.

"…is a very good friend of Stella and Mac; plus he's a CSI Lieutenant down in Miami," Danny explained.

"A Lieutenant?" Adam stuttered.

"Yes. So don't worry about it."

"Okay..I guess…I just saw him and he didn't wear an ID and.."

"Adam," Danny sighed a bit irritated. "It's fine, you did the right thing; it's just not necessary this time. It seems like Horatio is on some important mission."

"Any idea what it's about?"

"No," Danny shook his head and watched the redhead turn around a corner. "But I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later. And now it's time to work. So let's get something done. Come on," he motioned Adam to follow him. Whatever Horatio's mission was about, it really had to be important and something to do with either Stella or Mac or maybe both. He just hoped it was something good.

"I'm not sure about anything any longer," Stella sighed. "It's like a piece of me stayed in Miami.."

"Your heart maybe?" Mac asked and tried to hide his amusement. Stella was completely in love with their redheaded friend and lovesick. Not a good combination with her temper.

"Probably," she just mumbled and pulled a face. "We had a great time together and I also got along with Kyle. It was like a family actually," she snorted. "So surreal."

"Or the way home feels like." He had heard her comment earlier about her place not being a real home.

"And only heaven knows when we'll see each other again. Knowing my luck…never."

"Oh," Mac started and looked over her shoulder towards the entry of the lab. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Stella. I think you two will see each other sooner than you think." At her questioning look, he gave her a small smile and nodded towards the entry.

At this moment, Horatio entered the room and just stood there.

"Horatio," Stella exclaimed surprised.

"Stella," he said softly.

"What...what are you doing here? Did something happen?" she asked worriedly and walked to him.

Shaking his head no, he reached for her hands. "I missed you, Stella. I need and want you in my life. Always. You said that all good things come in threes when you left. First we had Boston, then Miami and now…New York. I love you Stella, please come back with me. Please come back home."

Stella didn't hear Mac's slight gasp, she didn't feel the light trembling of Horatio's hands; she just saw his pleading blue eyes, so full of emotions. "Horatio…I…."

_**tbc**_


	19. Epilogue

**A/N: So this is it. This is the last part of the story. Thank you all for taking this ride with me and thank you all for your wonderful reviews as well. I hope you enjoy the ending, after the rather cruel cliff hanger last time. LOL**

**Epilogue**

"I still believe that your answer shocked him," Mac told her and watched Stella walking around in her apartment.

"Maybe," she just replied, because she didn't really listen to him. She was searching for something but couldn't find it.

"Well I'm sure," he stated and leaned against the doorway. "What are you looking for?"

"Just..something…." came the very helpful reply.

"Ah," Mac raised his brows and didn't ask any further.

"Have you been shocked as well?" she suddenly asked.

"Shocked? No. But stunned. I think we all were and still are," he told her honestly.

"Well I won't change my decision."

"So you still think that this was the correct decision?" he asked and sounded a bit doubting.

"Don't you think it's a little too late to ask that?" she gave him a disbelieving look. "And weren't you the one who brought me into this situation in the first place?"

"Maybe," he smirked a bit. "But can't you understand me? It's not that easy for me as well."

"Oh poor, Mac," she drawled. "Please enlighten me."

"Well," he started and walked to her. "You're both my friends and now.."

"We're still your friends," she finished for him and smiled when he took her in his arms.

"I'm still not sure if I like that…," he sighed and was interrupted by another voice.

"Well I'm sure that I don't like what I'm seeing."

Looking into the voice's direction, Stella's eyes began to sparkle and her smile became even wider. "Hey."

"Now, now Taylor, get your hands off her," the other man pointed his finger at the marine. "I can't leave you two alone for a minute…"

"A minute?" Mac laughed. "Says the one who hasn't shown his face for over two weeks now and let me do all the hard work."

"Doesn't mean that you can touch her," the other man argued back, but it was hard for him to stay serious.

"Should I leave you two alone? To finish your cockfight?" Stella chimed in looked at Mac.

Mac gave her one last squeeze, just to tease the other, before he let her go. "I guess it should be me to leave you two alone," he said when Stella walked away. "That's a good idea actually, then you can carry all the boxes, or what's left of them."

Laughing, Horatio wrapped his arms around Stella. "Hey," he greeted her softly and kissed her forehead. "Did the marine over there entertain you while I was away?"

"Mhm, he did," she snuggled into his chest and giggled when she heard Mac's snort. "I thought you wouldn't make it until tomorrow?"

"Calleigh kicked me out of my office and the others had rebooked my flight. I think they wanted to get rid of me."

"Unbelievable," she sassed.

"Hey! I can leave if you want to."

"No," she quickly wrapped her arms around his waist to stop him from leaving. "It's been too long."

Yeah, those last two weeks had really been too long for his liking. He had missed her of course, but thinking about their future together had lessened the lovesickness. "Mhm.. but now I'm here and we can pack the last things." Looking around, he noticed that her apartment was almost empty. "Though I doubt that there's a lot more to get packed anyway."

"A lot can happen in two weeks, Horatio," Mac grinned at the couple. He still couldn't believe what was happening. Stella was about to leave New York and start her new life down in Miami. Has it really been four months ago when Horatio had asked her to come with him in the middle of the Crime Lab?

Unbelievable. Yet, it was true.

"True," Horatio agreed and gently freed himself from his girlfriend. "I guess I need to thank you to help us out so much," he walked to Mac and held out his hand.

"Don't worry about it, Horatio. I'm her big brother, right? It's my duty to help her," Mac replied easily and shook his friend's hand.

"How could I forget that? The family resemblance is striking," Horatio laughed. "But seriously, Mac. Thank you for all your help. It means a lot to me," looking at his woman, he added, "to us. And I guess since you're family, you're more than welcome to visit us in Miami if New York is getting you."

"Mhm I think I might take you up on your offer some day," Mac replied and looked at his watch. "And now it's time for me to leave you two alone. I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked Stella in particular, because it was her officially last day as a CSI for the New York Crime Lab. She still had some vacation time left over and would use it to get some things done here and then to get things settled down in Miami. Most of the paperwork had already been finished and approved, but some things had to be done in Miami.

"Absolutely," she replied and hugged him goodbye.

"Good, I'll see you tomorrow then," he waved and shook his head when they followed him. "I think I can find the door, don't worry."

When they heard the door shut, Stella and Horatio turned towards each other and smiled. "Do you think I'm going to hear another big-brother-speech?" he asked her amused.

"Probably yes," she laughed and pulled his head down to her. "So where's my kiss?"

"Mhm," he tilted his head. "Didn't I kiss you?"

"On the forehead," she stated incredulously.

"Hm, now that's not enough, is it?" he grinned and captured her lips.

"Nope," she gasped and practically melted into the kiss. Oh how she had missed that. It was a good thing that they would never have to live apart that long again. In only a few days she'd be a Miami citizen and an old CSI in a new Crime Lab. She would have a real home again and a small but mighty family waiting for her.

Would she miss her friends here in New York? Oh yes she would. But she wouldn't lose her friends here; she would just make new ones in addition to them. New York had been her home for all her life, so she wouldn't and couldn't ever forget them.

"Are you nervous?" Horatio asked after they broke the kiss and gathered her in his arms.

"No," she told him honestly. "I can't wait to be back in Miami. And most of all, I can't wait to be home again."

Every ending was a new beginning of something else in the end.

And she was looking forward to travel down this new road with Horatio by her side.

_**The End**_

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